Level 1 · Unit 6 Animals, Plants & Food

How to Write 苗 (miáo)

Meaning: "Seedling / Sprout"
Step-by-Step Stroke Order Diagram
Loading stroke data...
🖨️ Print Practice Sheet for This Word

Detailed Mastery Guide for 苗

The character 苗 (Traditional: 苗) is a fundamental part of the Chinese language, representing "Seedling / Sprout". In our Level 1 curriculum, we focus on the 8-step stroke sequence to ensure your handwriting is both fast and accurate.

Writing & Recognition

Proper stroke order is essential for character recognition and legibility. By following the animation above, you can see how the character is built from top to bottom and left to right. This character is often categorized under Animals, Plants & Food, making it a versatile addition to your vocabulary.

Key Vocabulary

疫苗 yìmiáo jik6 miu4
vaccine
禾苗 hémiáo wo4 miu4
rice seedlings

Radical Breakdown

Breaking it down: The character 苗 is built on the radical 艹 (grass radical), 140. Understanding radicals like this is a proven technique for accelerating vocabulary acquisition.

Etymology & Origins

Phono-semantic compound: 艹 (grass) + 田 (field). It depicts a sprout growing in a field.

Example Sentence

Simplified: 农民正在田里照料禾苗。

nóngmín zhèngzài tiánlǐ zhàoliào hémiáo.

Traditional: 農民正在田裡照料禾苗。

nung4 man4 zing3 zoi6 tin4 lei5 ziu3 liu6 wo4 miu4.

"The farmers are taking care of the rice seedlings in the field."

Dialect Pronunciation

In Mandarin, this character is pronounced as miáo. If you are learning Cantonese, the pronunciation is miu4. Use the audio buttons to hear the subtle tonal differences between the two major Chinese dialects.

Practice & Retention

To move this character from short-term to long-term memory, we recommend using our free practice sheet generator. Writing the character 10-15 times while following the correct sequence is a proven method for mastery.

Quick Self-Check

What is the meaning of '苗'?

A) Seedling
B) Mountain
C) River
D) Stone

Other Characters in Level 1 Unit 6

Hope this tool helps your Chinese learning journey!

We built this site to ensure everyone has access to free stroke order visualizers without annoying paywalls or trial limits. If you find it helpful, supporting us on Ko-fi helps keep the site running!

☕ Support Us on Ko-fi