Definitions

shào (noun) whistle; guard post; sentry
shào (verb) to whistle; to stand guard

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 哨, formed by the mouth radical 口 and the phonetic element 肖, initially denoted a high-pitched sound made by the mouth, specifically whistling. This acoustic meaning naturally extended to activities involving signaling or alerting, which facilitated its adoption in military terminology to refer to a lookout post or patrol, roles historically associated with such auditory communication. While its graphical composition has stayed consistent, the character's semantic scope has thus expanded from a simple oral sound to encompass concepts of observation and warning, maintaining both these related meanings in modern usage.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢吹口

Wǒ xǐhuān chuī kǒushào.

I like to whistle.

兵站在门口。

Shàobīng zhàn zài ménkǒu.

The sentry stands at the door.

山上有一个所。

Shān shàng yǒu yī gè shàosuǒ.

There is a guard post on the mountain.

他用子发出信号。

Tā yòng shàozi fāchū xìnhào.

He used a whistle to give a signal.

声在夜晚格外清晰。

Shàoshēng zài yèwǎn géwài qīngxī.

The whistle sound is especially clear at night.

边境所的条件很艰苦。

Biānjìng shàosuǒ de tiáojiàn hěn jiānkǔ.

The conditions at the border guard post are very tough.

教练吹示意比赛开始。

Jiàoliàn chuī shào shìyì bǐsài kāishǐ.

The coach blew the whistle to signal the start of the match.

侦察发现了敌军的动向。

Zhēnchá shào fāxiàn le díjūn de dòngxiàng.

The reconnaissance sentry detected the enemy's movements.