扫 Stroke Order — How to Write 扫
扫 is written in 6 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 扌, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
扫 Radical and Character Components
Components:扌彐
扫 is an ideographic compound. Simplified form of 掃; to use 扌 a broom 帚; 帚 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 扌 + 3 more strokes
扫 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- sǎo
- sào
Meanings of 扫 in Chinese
1
sǎo扫
To sweep (with a broom or similar tool) to remove dust or rubbish.
每天我都会把客厅的地扫干净。
Every day I sweep the living room floor clean.
To clear, eliminate, or sweep away completely; often used in contexts like eradicating something or thoroughly cleaning.
经过大扫除，屋子里的灰尘和杂物被一扫而空。
After a thorough cleaning, the dust and clutter in the room were swept away completely.
To encompass all; to completely exhaust or include everything.
宴会开始前，宾客已扫数到齐。
Before the banquet began, all the guests had arrived.
To dampen or lose (enthusiasm, interest), often used in '扫兴' (sǎoxìng) meaning to be disappointed or to have one's spirits dampened.
这雨真扫兴，把我们的野餐计划都打乱了。
This rain really dampened our spirits; it messed up all our picnic plans.
To scan or draw, referring to actions like scanning an image or drawing eyebrows.
请扫描二维码进入会场。
Please scan the QR code to enter the venue.
To quickly sweep across or scan something.
他快速扫视了一眼教室里的学生。
He quickly scanned the students in the classroom.
To finish; to conclude a task or process.
这项工作终于要扫尾了。
This work is finally coming to an end.
To pay respects or offer sacrifice, often by visiting a grave.
每年清明，我们全家都会去给祖先扫墓
Every Qingming Festival, our entire family goes to sweep the tombs of our ancestors.
2
sào扫
Used in the term 'sàozhou' (broom), referring to a sweeping tool typically made of bundled twigs or bristles.
奶奶的扫帚放在门后。
Grandma's broom is placed behind the door.
Common Words and Phrases with 扫
1
A tool used for sweeping; a broom.
她用扫把把地上的灰尘扫干净了。
She used the broom to sweep the dust off the floor.
2
To sweep; to clean up; to clear away; to eliminate.
春天来了，是时候彻底扫除屋子里的灰尘了。
Spring has arrived, it's time to thoroughly sweep and clean the dust from the house.
3
A sweeper is a cleaning device, such as a lawn sweeper.
我们买了一台新的扫除机，家里的地板很快就干净了
We bought a new cleaning machine, and the floors at home quickly became clean.
4
To eliminate all evil and bring peace and order to the world.
一个真正的英雄，其使命不仅仅是战胜强敌，更是要扫除天下间的苦难与不公，为所有生灵带来福祉。
The mission of a true hero is not merely to defeat powerful adversaries, but more importantly, to sweep away the suffering and injustice in the world and bring well-being to all living creatures.
5
To completely clear out, eliminate, or wipe out, often referring to a thorough campaign against enemies or undesirable elements.
春节前，家家户户都要对房间进行一次大扫荡。
Before the Spring Festival, every household gives their rooms a thorough clean-up.
6
To sweep the floor; metaphorically, to lose all reputation or prestige.
因为他经常说谎，在朋友中的信誉已经扫地了。
Because he often lies, his credibility among friends has been completely ruined.
7
To expel someone, stripping them of all their possessions and leaving them empty-handed.
他因为屡次违反公司规定，最终被扫地出门，失去了工作和所有福利。
He was eventually swept out of the company, losing his job and all benefits, due to repeated violations of company rules.
8
Completely swept away; utterly destroyed or eradicated, leaving nothing behind.
一场突如其来的大火，把整片森林烧得扫地俱尽，只剩下焦黑的地面。
A sudden, massive fire swept through the entire forest, leaving it utterly destroyed, with nothing but scorched earth remaining.
9
to sweep away completely; to leave nothing behind
厨房里的垃圾被他扫地无余，变得格外干净整洁。
He completely cleared out all the trash from the kitchen, leaving nothing behind, making it exceptionally clean and tidy.
10
To be completely discredited or utterly ruined, losing all prestige or reputation.
他因为那次不诚实的行为，多年的好名声扫地以尽。
Because of that dishonest act, his years of good reputation were utterly ruined.
11
To clean the walls and ceilings inside a house.
春节前，家家户户都要扫房，把屋里屋外都打扫得干干净净，迎接新年的到来。
Before the Spring Festival, every household thoroughly cleans their homes, scrubbing both inside and out, to welcome the arrival of the new year.
12
To sweep and clean a grave, usually to pay respects to the deceased.
清明节，我们会一起去给爷爷奶奶扫坟
On Qingming Festival, we will go together to sweep our grandparents' graves.
13
A device mounted on the front of a rail vehicle to clear easily removable obstacles from the rail surface.
这辆有轨电车在行驶前启动了扫轨器，以确保轨道畅通无阻。
This tram activated its rail sweeper before moving to ensure the track was clear.
14
a crackdown on pornography
社区组织了一次扫黄行动，清除了非法出版物
The community organized an anti-pornography campaign to clear out illegal publications.
15
to sweep a tomb and offer sacrifices
每逢清明时节，人们都会去墓地扫祭故去的亲人，以表达思念和敬意。
Every Qingming Festival, people go to the cemetery to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices to their deceased relatives, expressing their remembrance and respect.
16
Minesweeping; the act of searching for and removing landmines or naval mines.
他喜欢玩电脑游戏，尤其是扫雷。
He enjoys playing computer games, particularly minesweeper.
More words with 扫
- jì祭sǎo扫to sweep and worship at a tomb
- sǎ洒sǎo扫sweep and clean, clean up
- sào扫zhou帚broom
- dá打sǎo扫clean, sweep
- sǎo扫mù墓grave sweeping, tomb-sweeping
- qīng清sǎo扫sweep, clean up
- sǎo扫miáo描scan, scanning
- sǎo扫shì视scan, glance over
- sǎo扫xìng兴spoil the fun, dampen spirits
- dà大sǎo扫chú除spring cleaning, general cleaning
- sǎo扫jìn进sweep into, sweep in
- sǎo扫shù数all, every
- sáo扫wěi尾mopping up, finishing touches
- sǎo扫dào到brush against, spot
- sǎo扫dé得Can sweep, Able to sweep
- sǎo扫qīng清clear, eliminate
- xùn汛sǎo扫Flood scouring, Flood cleanup
- dá打sǎo扫de得cleaned, cleaned up
- dá打sǎo扫gān干jìng净Clean up, Sweep clean
- qīng轻sǎo扫swipe, flick
Idioms with 扫
- sǎo扫tà榻yǐ以dài待eagerly await an honored guest
- sǎo扫tián田guā刮dì地do various farm chores
- sǎo扫xìng兴ér而huí回return disappointed
- bǐ笔sǎo扫qiān千jūn军powerful writing sweeping away armies
- bì闭mén门què却sǎo扫close door, refuse visitors
- gāng纲cháng常sǎo扫dì地moral principles and social order destroyed
- héng横sǎo扫qiān千jūn军sweep away a thousand troops
- míng名yù誉sǎo扫dì地reputation utterly ruined
- sī斯wén文sǎo扫dì地intellectuals or culture losing respect
- wēi威fēng风sǎo扫dì地Prestige swept to the ground
- wēi威xìn信sǎo扫dì地lose all prestige and credibility
- yán颜miàn面sǎo扫dì地utterly disgraced
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Open the tool →Questions about 扫
What does 扫 mean in Chinese?
扫 (sǎo) means “To encompass all” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 扫?
扫 has 2 pronunciations: sǎo, sào.
How many strokes does 扫 have?
扫 has 6 strokes.
How do you write 扫?
扫 is written in 6 strokes, starting from the radical 扌. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 扫?
The radical of 扫 is 扌, and 扫 is an ideographic compound.