verb HSK 5 #4,929

Meanings

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

Examples

HSK 3
Yángguāng sǎ zài húmiàn shàng.
Sunlight sprinkled across the lake surface.
HSK 3
Xiǎoxīn, bié bǎ tāng sǎ le.
Be careful, don't spill the soup.
HSK 6
Chúshī zài cài shàng sǎ le yīxiē yán.
The chef sprinkled some salt on the dish.

Tips

usage
vs : is a gentler, more controlled scattering (sprinkling); 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
shuǐ
water (radical form)
Left water radical, three drops. Marks as a water-action character: sprinkling, splashing, scattering liquid. Same radical anchors (drip), (splash), (pour), (drench).
phonetic
西
west (graphic only)
Right side looks like 西 (west) but functions as a graphic phonetic carrier. is also a simplified form of traditional , where the phonetic was - 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