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巧妙 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
巧妙qiǎomiàoingeniousHSK 6, a, rank #9817, Hard
巧妙qiǎomiàocleverHSK 6, a, rank #9817, Hard
巧妙qiǎomiàoingenuityHSK 6, a, rank #9817, Hard
巧妙qiǎomiàoartificeHSK 6, a, rank #9817, Hard
qiǎomiào(qiao3miao4) T3
  1. 1ingenious
  2. 2clever
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March 24, 2026
巧妙qiǎomiào(qiao3miao4)

巧妙 (qiǎo miào) refers to something that is cleverly or ingeniously devised, often displaying skillful craftsmanship or creative problem-solving. It is commonly used to describe solutions, designs, or strategies that are not only effective but also demonstrate a high level of intelligence or artistry.

Frequency#9817DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the value placed on cleverness and resourcefulness is reflected in various idioms and proverbs. For example, stories of historical figures using 巧妙 strategies to achieve their goals are common in traditional literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a clever fox (巧) weaving a beautiful, intricate tapestry (妙) that captures the essence of its surroundings. The fox's intelligence and skill highlight the meaning of 巧妙, making it easy to remember the character components and their pronunciation.

Meanings of 巧妙

qiǎomiào(qiao3miao4)
1ingenious
2clever
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 巧妙

巧妙Simplified
—Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#9817Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 巧妙

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Podcast: 巧妙

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AI Study Notes for 巧妙

Quick Contrast

巧妙 (qiǎomiào) vs 精妙 (jīngmiào) — use 巧妙 for cleverness in practical solutions, while 精妙 emphasizes exquisite detail and artistry.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a clever fox (巧) weaving a beautiful, intricate tapestry (妙) that captures the essence of its surroundings. The fox's intelligence and skill highlight the meaning of 巧妙, making it easy to remember the character components and their pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 巧妙 with other similar adjectives like 精巧 (jīngqiǎo), which means exquisite or delicate. While 巧妙 focuses on cleverness, 精巧 emphasizes fine details. Be mindful of using 巧妙 in both formal and informal contexts, as it is versatile but may sound too sophisticated in casual conversations.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 巧妙 connects well with other adjectives describing qualities and characteristics. Students should focus on using it in sentences that highlight creativity or clever solutions to reinforce its meaning within practical contexts.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the value placed on cleverness and resourcefulness is reflected in various idioms and proverbs. For example, stories of historical figures using 巧妙 strategies to achieve their goals are common in traditional literature.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is using 巧妙 to describe something that is simply good or nice, which does not capture its essence of cleverness. For example, saying '这道菜很巧妙' (This dish is very nice) should be corrected to '这道菜的做法很巧妙' (The method of making this dish is very clever).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 巧妙

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Component Characters

巧qiǎoopportunely
HSK 45 strokes工
View full entry
妙miàoclever
HSK 67 strokes女
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Write 巧妙

巧
妙

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

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Grammar Patterns of 巧妙

巧妙 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

这款汽车____地将经典式样融入到流线型的现代设计中。

The car neatly blends classic styling into a smooth modern package.

Example Sentences for 巧妙 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这款汽车巧妙地将经典式样融入到流线型的现代设计中。

zhè kuǎn qì chē qiǎo miào dì jiāng jīng diǎn shì yàng róng rù dào liú xiàn xíng de xiàn dài shè jì zhōng。

The car neatly blends classic styling into a smooth modern package.
2
我甚至开始巧妙地利用他。

wǒ shèn zhì kāi shǐ qiǎo miào dì lì yòng tā。

I even began to exploit him in subtle ways.
3
他已经准备好尽量巧妙地讨论这个问题。

tā yǐ jīng zhǔn bèi hǎo jìn liáng qiǎo miào dì tǎo lùn zhè gè wèn tí。

He's prepared to have a bash at discussing it intelligently.
4
很难找到解决这些问题的巧妙办法。

hěn nán zhǎo dào jiě jué zhè xiē wèn tí de qiǎo miào bàn fǎ。

Neat solutions are not easily found to these issues.
5
我们用一张摆放得很巧妙的椅子将它隐藏了起来。

wǒ mén yòng yī zhāng bǎi fàng dé hěn qiǎo miào de yǐ zǐ jiāng tā yǐn cáng le qǐ lái。

We had kept its presence hidden with a strategically placed chair.
6
在这本新作中，哈里森巧妙地理顺了那些纷繁复杂的争论。

zài zhè běn xīn zuò zhōng， ， hā lǐ sēn qiǎo miào dì lǐ shùn le nà xiē fēn fán fù zá de zhēng。

In this new book, Harrison brilliantly disentangles complex debates.
7
除了编辑上的一些巧妙之处，这本选集乏善可陈。

chú le biān jí shàng de yī xiē qiǎo miào zhī chǔ， ， zhè běn xuǎn jí fá shàn kě。

Despite some artful editing, the anthology is a weak one.
8
通过调整照相机的角度，他的脸将被巧妙地遮住。

tōng guò tiáo zhěng zhào xiāng jī de jiǎo dù， ， tā de liǎn jiāng bèi qiǎo miào dì zhē。

His face will be discreetly concealed by camera angles.
9
那些碗与杯子巧妙相配。

nà xiē wǎn yǔ bēi zǐ qiǎo miào xiāng pèi。

The bowls tone in cleverly with the mugs.
10
通过巧妙运用倒叙手法，伊夫的故事慢慢呈现出来。

tōng guò qiǎo miào yùn yòng dǎo xù shǒu fǎ， ， yī fū de gù shì màn màn chéng xiàn chū。

Gradually, with an intelligent use of flashbacks, Yves' story unravels.

Cultural Notes for 巧妙

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the value placed on cleverness and resourcefulness is reflected in various idioms and proverbs. For example, stories of historical figures using 巧妙 strategies to achieve their goals are common in traditional literature.

Frequently Asked Questions about 巧妙

Yes, 巧妙 can describe a person's cleverness or ingenuity, but it is more commonly used to describe ideas, solutions, or creative works.