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姣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
姣jiāobeautiful, handsome, prettyz, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #65038, Very Hard
姣jiāosurname Jiaounknown, 9 strokes, radical 女, rank #65038, Very Hard
jiāo(Jiao1) T1
  1. 1beautiful, handsome, pretty
Also a Chinese surname, Jiao — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

姣jiāo(Jiao1)

The character 姣 (jiāo) primarily conveys the meaning of beauty, typically in reference to a woman or something aesthetically pleasing. It is often used in literary or poetic contexts to describe attractive qualities, and can also function as a surname. This word evokes a sense of delicate charm and grace.

Strokes9Radical女Frequency#65038DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The character 姣 often appears in classical poetry and literature, reflecting traditional Chinese values that celebrate feminine beauty and grace. It embodies the aesthetic appreciation deeply rooted in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a graceful woman (representing 'beauty') standing next to a tall, elegant tree (the radical 女 for 'woman' combined with the tree-like structure of the character). The sound 'jiāo' resembles the gentle call of a bird, emphasizing the beauty of nature and femininity.

Meanings of 姣

jiāo(Jiao1)
1beautiful, handsome, pretty
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 姣

姣Simplified
9Strokes
女Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 姣

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Podcast: 姣

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 姣

Quick Contrast

姣 (jiāo) vs 美 (měi) — use 姣 for a more delicate, poetic sense of beauty, while 美 is more general and commonly used.

Usage Notes

While 姣 is a pleasant adjective, it is somewhat formal and literary; avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocations include 姣好 (jiāo hǎo, meaning 'very beautiful') and 姣姣 (jiāo jiāo, often used to express a repeated beauty). Be cautious with tone, as the first tone is high and level.

HSK Study Tips

Though not included in HSK levels, 姣 connects with other beauty-related vocabulary like 美 (měi) and 漂亮 (piàoliang), which are more commonly used. Focus on understanding how beauty is expressed in different contexts to enhance your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 姣 with other beauty-related terms like 美 (měi). For example, saying '她很美' (tā hěn měi, 'She is beautiful') is correct, but using '她很姣' (tā hěn jiāo) sounds awkward in conversation. Stick to 美 for everyday use.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 姣

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Etymology of 姣

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)女
+
Phonetic (sound)交
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 姣

  1. 1The meaning half女 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half交 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywoman
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 姣? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 姣?

Decomposition of 姣

IDS Structure⿰女交
姣Full Character
=
女nü3
left
交jiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 姣?

How to say beautiful, handsome, pretty in Chinese

“beautiful, handsome, pretty” in Chinese is姣jiāo

The character 姣 (jiāo) primarily conveys the meaning of beauty, typically in reference to a woman or something aesthetically pleasing. It is often used in literary or poetic contexts to describe attractive qualities, and can also function as a surname. This word evokes a sense of delicate charm and grace.

When to use 姣

While 姣 is a pleasant adjective, it is somewhat formal and literary; avoid using it in casual conversations. Common collocations include 姣好 (jiāo hǎo, meaning 'very beautiful') and 姣姣 (jiāo jiāo, often used to express a repeated beauty). Be cautious with tone, as the first tone is high and level.

姣 or something close to it

姣 (jiāo) vs 美 (měi) — use 姣 for a more delicate, poetic sense of beauty, while 美 is more general and commonly used.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 姣 with other beauty-related terms like 美 (měi). For example, saying '她很美' (tā hěn měi, 'She is beautiful') is correct, but using '她很姣' (tā hěn jiāo) sounds awkward in conversation. Stick to 美 for everyday use.

Write 姣

姣

Practice writing 姣 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 姣

姣 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

那种淡白的月光,本来能叫老丑的妇人变为美人,现在把这副原本就____丽的面孔, 更映照得天神一般了.

The pale lunar touches which make beauties of hags lent divinity to this face, already beautiful.

Example Sentences for 姣 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
那种淡白的月光,本来能叫老丑的妇人变为美人,现在把这副原本就姣丽的面孔, 更映照得天神一般了.

nà zhǒng dàn bái de yuè guāng, , běn lái néng jiào lǎo chǒu de fù rén biàn wéi měi, rén , xiàn zài bǎ zhè fù yuán běn jiù jiāo lì de, miàn kǒng , gēng yìng zhào dé tiān shén.

The pale lunar touches which make beauties of hags lent divinity to this face, already beautiful.

Word Family of 姣

Words Containing This Character1
姣jiāocunning
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 姣 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 姣

Typically, 姣 is used to describe women or feminine beauty, so it's less common to use it for men.

Jason Recommends

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