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洒

灑
sǎ
verb HSK 5 #4,929

Meanings

  1. 1 to sprinkle; to spray; to scatter
  2. 2 to spill (liquid)

Examples

HSK 4
小心，别把汤洒了。
Xiǎoxīn, bié bǎ tāng sǎ le.
Be careful, don't spill the soup.
HSK 4
厨师在菜上洒了一些盐。
Chúshī zài cài shàng sǎ le yìxiē yán.
The chef sprinkled some salt on the dish.
HSK 5
阳光洒在湖面上。
Yángguāng sǎ zài húmiàn shàng.
Sunlight sprinkled across the lake surface.

Tips

usage
洒 vs 泼: 洒 is a gentler, more controlled scattering (sprinkling); 泼 is a forceful, dramatic splash. 洒水车 is a street-watering truck.
usage
洒脱 means 'free and easy; unconstrained' - a desirable personality trait in Chinese culture.

Components

radical
氵 shuǐ
water (radical form)
Left water radical, three drops. Marks 洒 as a water-action character: sprinkling, splashing, scattering liquid. Same radical anchors 滴 (drip), 泼 (splash), 浇 (pour), 淋 (drench).
phonetic
西 xī
west (graphic only)
Right side looks like 西 (west) but functions as a graphic phonetic carrier. 洒 is also a simplified form of traditional 灑, where the phonetic was 麗 - quite different. The modern shape with 西 stabilises an older variant where 西 was loosely associated with sǎ/xǐ readings. The 'west' meaning plays no semantic role.

Stroke Order

洒 sǎ