孝
filial piety
At a glance · 孝
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
孝字小篆从老省从子，会意为子承老、善事父母；本义为孝道、孝顺。甲骨文未见。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
孝本义为孝顺、善事父母。
Structure
会意字，从老（省）从子，表示子承顺父母。
At a glance
Pinyinxiào
Radical子
Strokes7
UnicodeU+5B5D
Character type会意
Theme德行
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
filial piety
Xiao is an associative character of child and elder, meaning filial piety.
Français
piété filiale
Xiao est un caractère associatif d'enfant et aîné, signifiant piété filiale.
Español
piedad filial
Xiao es un carácter asociativo de niño y anciano, significa piedad filial.
العربية
برّ الوالدين
شياو حرف تركيبي لطفل وكبير، يعني بر الوالدين.
Русский
сыновняя почтительность
Сяо — ассоциативный знак ребёнка и старшего, означает сыновнюю почтительность.
Common words
- 孝顺xiào shùnfilial
- 孝敬xiào jìngfilial respect