Definitions

yáo (verb) to shake; to rock
yáo (verb) to row; to crank
yáo (verb) to wag

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for shaking, traditionally written as "搖", combines the hand radical indicating manual action with the phonetic component "䍃" to form a semantic-phonetic compound that has consistently denoted oscillatory motion. Its structure directly associates the character with physical movement initiated by the hand, while the phonetic element provides its pronunciation. The core meaning of causing something to rock or sway has persisted, yet its application widened over time from describing tangible actions, like shaking a tree or one's head, to abstract uses involving the disturbance of conditions or the expression of doubt. The simplified form "摇" retains this essential composition and meaning, presenting a graphically streamlined version of the phonetic element while leaving the character's fundamental etymological and semantic integrity unchanged.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

头表示反对。

Tā yáo tóu biǎoshì fǎnduì.

He shook his head to express opposition.

小孩子喜欢晃玩具。

Xiǎo háizi xǐhuān yáohuàng wánjù.

Children like to shake toys.

大风动着树枝。

Dà fēng yáodòng zhe shùzhī.

The strong wind is shaking the branches.

爷爷坐在椅上休息。

Yéye zuò zài yáoyǐ shàng xiūxi.

Grandpa is sitting on the rocking chair to rest.

手叫我过去。

Tā yáo shǒu jiào wǒ guòqù.

He waved his hand to call me over.

老师铃开始上课。

Lǎoshī yáo líng kāishǐ shàngkè.

The teacher rang the bell to start class.

他们在湖上船游玩。

Tāmen zài hú shàng yáo chuán yóuwán.

They are rowing a boat on the lake for fun.

尽管地震得厉害,房子却没事。

Jǐnguǎn dìzhèn yáo de lìhai, fángzi què méishì.

Even though the earthquake shook violently, the house was fine.