曹
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: Zhou Dynasty vassal state
💡 Cao Cao of Three Kingdoms: picture his helmet with the radical 曰 (sun) above.
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
In a bustling Beijing hutong, a tour guide points to a plaque reading '曹家胡同' (Cáo Family Alley). The character 曹 (cáo) originally referred to a Zhou Dynasty vassal state (11th-3rd century BC) near modern Shandong. Today, it's a common surname, famously held by the Three Kingdoms warlord Cao Cao. You'll see it on street signs and in historical texts, linking modern China to its ancient feudal past.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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