摇

搖
yáo
HSK 5
#938 most
frequent character
shake, to rock
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

摇 joins 扌 hand with 䍃 yáo, which gives the sound. It first meant to rock or sway. That grew to shaking or oscillating.

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Example Sentences

他摇了摇头，不想参加。
tā yáole yáo tóu ， bùxiǎng cānjiā 。
He shook his head and did not want to participate.
请你轻轻摇动这个瓶子。
qǐng nǐ qīngqīng yáodòng zhègè píngzǐ 。
Please shake this bottle gently.
风开始摇动树枝。
fēng kāishǐ yáodòng shù zhī 。
The wind began to shake the branches.

Words with similar meanings

摇动yáodòng
to shake
This is a more formal term that emphasizes the action of shaking.
晃动huǎngdòng
to sway
This implies a side-to-side motion, often used in a more casual context.

Homophones

遥yáo
(bound form) distant, remote

Words Starting With 摇

摇摆yáo bǎi
to waver; swaying (of building in an earthquake)
摇晃yáo huàng
to rock; to shake; to sway
摇滚yáo gǔn
to shake and boil; rock and roll (music)

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Public Lists with 摇

Advanced HSK5 Terms
Vocabulary commonly seen in HSK5 practice, bridging mid-high level usage.
Basic Verbs
Core action verbs like 'go,' 'come,' 'eat,' 'see,' commonly encountered in HSK.
HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test