# 嫂

| 嫂 | U+5AC2, &#23234; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5AC2 |
| ← 嫁 [U+5AC1] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 嫃 → [U+5AC3] |

## Translingual
### Han character

嫂 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+9, 12 strokes, cangjie input 女竹難水 (VHXE), four-corner 4744$_7$, composition ⿰女叟)

#### Derived characters

* 䕅

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 268, character 34
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6603
* Dae Jaweon: page 536, character 8
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1066, character 18
* Unihan data for U+5AC2

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

* Historical forms of the character 嫂
* Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
* Small seal script
| | Old Chinese |
| 㮴 | *suːw |
| 艘 | *suːw, *sɯːw |
| 嫂 | *suːwʔ |
| 瞍 | *sɯːw, *suːʔ |
| 謏 | *slɯːwʔ, *suːʔ, *suːs, *srɯwɢ |
| 叜 | *sluːʔ |
| 叟 | *suːʔ |
| 傁 | *suːʔ |
| 廋 | *suːʔ, *sru |
| 醙 | *suʔ, *sru |
| 遚 | *sʰrus |
| 餿 | *sru |
| 搜 | *sru |
| 颼 | *sru |
| 溲 | *sru, *sruʔ |
| 鎪 | *sru |
| 獀 | *sru |
| 鄋 | *sru |
| 螋 | *sru, *sro |
| 騪 | *sru |
| 瘦 | *srus |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *suːwʔ) : semantic 女 (“woman”) + phonetic 叟 (OC *suːʔ)

### Etymology 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): sǎo (sao$^3$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄙㄠˇ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): sou$^2$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): só
    (Meixian, Guangdong): sau$^3$
* Eastern Min (BUC): sō̤
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): so$^3$ / sor$^3$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): só / só͘
    (Teochew, Peng'im): so$^2$ / sao$^2$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^5$sau
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: sǎo
*** Zhuyin: ㄙㄠˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: sǎo
*** Wade–Giles: sao$^3$
*** Yale: sǎu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sao
*** Palladius: сао (sao)
*** Sinological IPA : /sɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: sou$^2$
*** Yale: sóu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: sou$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: sou$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /sou̯³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: só
*** Hakka Romanization System: so$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: so$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /so³¹/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: sau$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /sau³¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: sō̤
*** Sinological IPA : /so³³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: so$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /ɬo⁴⁵³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: so$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /ɬɵ³³²/
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: sor$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /ɬɒ⁴⁵³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: sor$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /ɬɒ³³²/
* so3 - vernacular;
* sor3 - literary.
* Middle Chinese: sawX
Rime :
| Character | 嫂 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 心 (16) |
| Final (韻) | 豪 (89) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 蘇老切 |
| Baxter | sawX |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /sɑu$^X$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /sɑu$^X$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /sɑu$^X$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /saw$^X$/ |
| Li Rong | /sɑu$^X$/ |
| Wang Li | /sɑu$^X$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /sɑu$^X$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | sǎo |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | sou$^2$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Zhengzhang): /*suːwʔ/
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 嫂 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 12065 |
| Phonetic component | 叟 |
| Rime group | 幽 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 㛮 |
| Old Chinese | /*suːwʔ/ |

#### Definitions

嫂
* sister-in-law (older brother's wife)
* friend's wife

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 嫂子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 嫂子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 嫂子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 嫂子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 嫂子 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 嫂子 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 嫂子 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 嫂 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 嫂子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 嫂子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 嫂子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 嫂子 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 嫂子 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 嫂嫂 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 嫂子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 嫂子, 嫂嫂 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 嫂子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 嫂嫂 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 嫂子 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 嫂子 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 嫂子 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 嫂 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 大嫂 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 嫂 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 大嫂 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 大嫂 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 大嫂 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 嫂 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 阿嫂 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 阿嫂 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 嫂嫂, 嫂子, 嫂 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 兄嫂 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 嫂老子 non-face-to-face, 嫂嫂 face-to-face |
| Hakka | Meixian | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 大嫂 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 嫂嫂 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 阿嫂 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 阿嫂 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 嫂 non-face-to-face, 嫂嫂 face-to-face |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 嫂嫂, 嫂子 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 嫂嫂, 嫂嫂啊, 嫂啊 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 嫂仔, 嫂嫂 face-to-face |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 嫂, 兄嫂, 依嫂 |
| Eastern Min | Singapore (Fuqing) | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 阿嫂, 兄嫂 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 阿嫂, 兄嫂 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 阿嫂, 兄嫂 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 阿嫂, 嫂 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 阿嫂 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 嫂 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 兄嫂 non-face-to-face, 阿嫂 face-to-face |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 阿嫂 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 家嫂 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 嫂 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 嫂嫂, 阿嫂 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 阿嫂 non-face-to-face, 嫂嫂 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 阿嫂 non-face-to-face, 嫂嫂 face-to-face |
| Wu | Danyang | 嫂嫂 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 嫂嫂, 阿嫂 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 阿嫂 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 兄嫂 non-face-to-face, 阿嫂 face-to-face |
| Wu | Jinhua | 嫂 non-face-to-face, 嫂兒嫂兒 face-to-face |
| Xiang | Changsha | 嫂子 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 嫂嫂 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 嫂嫂 |
| Xiang | Hengyang | 嫂子 |

#### Compounds

* 丘嫂
* 兄嫂 (xiōngsǎo)
* 內嫂 / 内嫂
* 大嫂 (dàsǎo)
* 大嫂子
* 姑嫂 (gūsǎo)
* 姻嫂 (yīnsǎo)
* 嫂夫人
* 嫂嫂 (sǎosao)
* 嫂子 (sǎozi)
* 家嫂
* 舅嫂 (jiùsǎo)

#### Descendants

* → Thai: ซ้อ (sɔ́ɔ)
* → Tagalog: inso

### Etymology 2
#### Definitions

嫂
* (Hong Kong Cantonese, university slang) Alternative form of soc

### References

* “Entry #9437”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Hyōgai kanji)
* elder brother's wife

#### Readings

* Go-on: そう (sō)
* Kan-on: そう (sō)
* Kun: あによめ (aniyome)

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 嫂 (MC sawX). Recorded as Middle Korean 수〯 (swǔ) (Yale: swu) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Hanja

Wikisource 嫂 (eumhun 형수 수 (hyeongsu su))
* hanja form of 수 (“sister-in-law; elder brother's wife”)

#### Compounds

* 제수 (弟嫂, jesu)
* 형수 (兄嫂, hyeongsu)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

嫂: Hán Nôm readings: tẩu, dâu
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.