What does 招 mean in Chinese?

招 (zhāo) means "to recruit; to provoke; to beckon; to incur; to infect; contagious; a move (chess); a maneuver; device; trick; to confess" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 6.

How do you pronounce 招?

招 is pronounced "zhāo" in Mandarin Chinese. The tone number is 1.

What HSK level is 招?

招 is an HSK 6 word on the new HSK exam syllabus.

What words contain the character 招?

Common words with 招 include 招呼 (to call out to), 打招呼 (to greet sb by word or action), 中招 (senior high school enrollment), 中招 (to get infected), 出招 (to make a move (in martial arts or figuratively)).

How do you write 招?

You can practice writing 招 using our stroke order tool.

招 (zhāo), to recruit

招

zhāo

to recruit; to provoke; to beckon; to incur

HSK 6 New to HSKverb

Character Breakdown

Radical: 手 (no. 64)

View stroke order →

Definitions

(verb) to recruit
to provoke
to beckon
to incur
to infect
contagious
a move (chess)
a maneuver
device
trick
to confess

Example Sentences

公司正在招新员工。

Gōngsī zhèngzài zhāo xīn yuángōng

The company is recruiting new employees

Words Containing 招

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	HSK
招呼	zhāo hu	to call out to
打招呼	dǎ zhāo hu	to greet sb by word or action	HSK 4
中招	zhōng zhāo	senior high school enrollment
中招	zhòng zhāo	to get infected
出招	chū zhāo

Related Words

传染(chuán rǎn)· to infect

→

招数(zhāo shù)· move (in chess, on stage, in martial arts)

→

招致(zhāo zhì)· to recruit (followers)

→

出臭子儿(chū chòu zǐ r)· to make a bad move (in a game of chess)

→

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 6
HSK 2.0: Not listed
HSK Lord study list: HSK 6 list

招: New to the HSK lists at HSK 6. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 6 exam

Studying for HSK 6? Keep 招 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each character comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

Start studying free The words new HSK 6 adds

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.