HSK 4, n, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #2283, Medium
桥
qiáo
bridge; beam, crosspiece
HSK 4, n, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #2283, Medium
qiáo(qiao2) T2
1bridge
2bridge; beam, crosspiece
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March 24, 2026
桥(橋)qiáo(qiao2)
The character 桥 (qiáo) means 'bridge' and is commonly used to refer to a structure that spans a physical barrier, such as a river or road, allowing for passage. In a broader sense, it can also symbolize connection or transition, both physically and metaphorically, in various contexts.
Strokes10Radical木Frequency#2283DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
Bridges are significant in Chinese culture, often symbolizing unity and connection. The famous Zhaozhou Bridge (赵州桥), built during the Sui dynasty, is one of the oldest and most renowned bridges in China, reflecting advanced ancient engineering.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'bridge' made of wooden planks (木) spanning a river (氵). The character 桥 combines the radical for wood (木) and the water radical (氵), visually representing a bridge over water, which helps you remember both its meaning and pronunciation, qiáo.
Meanings of 桥
qiáo(qiao2)
1bridge
2bridge; beam, crosspiece
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 桥
桥Simplified
橋Traditional
10Strokes
木Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2283Frequency Rank
座Measure Word
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4ElementaryTOCFLL3HSKKL2CEFRA2
Podcast: 桥
Podcast: 桥
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AI Study Notes for 桥
Quick Contrast
桥 (qiáo) vs 橋 (qiáo) — the former is the simplified form used in Mainland China, while the latter is the traditional form used in regions like Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a 'bridge' made of wooden planks (木) spanning a river (氵). The character 桥 combines the radical for wood (木) and the water radical (氵), visually representing a bridge over water, which helps you remember both its meaning and pronunciation, qiáo.
Usage Notes
Be mindful of the measure word used with 桥, which is 座 (zuò). A common mistake is to confuse it with other structures, such as buildings, which use different measure words. In informal contexts, it can also refer to connecting ideas or people.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 桥 connects with other words related to infrastructure and movement. Students should focus on understanding its usage in both literal and figurative contexts, perhaps by practicing sentences about travel or transportation.
Cultural Note
Bridges are significant in Chinese culture, often symbolizing unity and connection. The famous Zhaozhou Bridge (赵州桥), built during the Sui dynasty, is one of the oldest and most renowned bridges in China, reflecting advanced ancient engineering.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 桥 with related terms like 橋 (the traditional form), leading to incorrect writing. Additionally, some may mistakenly use the wrong measure word, such as using 个 instead of 座.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 桥
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Grammar Patterns of 桥
桥 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 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.
Below the bridge we could just discern a narrow, weedy ditch.
Cultural Notes for 桥
🏮Cultural insight
Bridges are significant in Chinese culture, often symbolizing unity and connection. The famous Zhaozhou Bridge (赵州桥), built during the Sui dynasty, is one of the oldest and most renowned bridges in China, reflecting advanced ancient engineering.
Word Family of 桥
Words Containing This Character20
桥qiáobridge橋
大桥Da Qiao, one of the Two Qiaos, according to Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[SānguóYǎnyì], the two great beauties of ancient China大橋
桥梁qiáoliángbridge (lit. and fig.)橋梁
天桥tiānqiáoTianqiao district of Ji'nan city 濟南市|济南市[Jǐnánshì], Shandong天橋
剑桥Cambridge劍橋
立交桥lìjiāoqiáooverpass立交橋
桥头a bridgehead橋頭
吊桥drawbridge吊橋
桥牌contract bridge (card game)橋牌
桥段scene (in a movie etc)橋段
桥墩bridge pier橋墩
桥面roadway橋面
高桥Takahashi (Japanese surname)高橋
虹桥Hongqiao, the name of numerous entities, notably a major airport in Shanghai, and a district in Tianjin虹橋
高架桥viaduct高架橋
独木桥single-log bridge獨木橋
浮桥pontoon bridge浮橋
桥本Hashimoto (Japanese surname and place name)橋本
板桥Banqiao or Panchiao city in Taiwan板橋
虹桥机场Hongqiao Airport (Shanghai)虹橋機場
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 桥 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 桥
桥 is pronounced as 'qiáo' in Mandarin. The tone is the second tone, which is a rising tone. Practicing the pronunciation can help you differentiate it from other similar-sounding characters.
Common phrases that include 桥 (qiáo) are '桥梁' (qiáoliáng), which means 'bridge' or 'link', and '搭桥' (dāqiáo), meaning 'to build a bridge'. These phrases can be used in both literal and figurative senses in conversation.
桥 (qiáo) means 'bridge' in Chinese. It can refer to both a physical bridge and metaphorically to connections or relationships. This character is commonly used in various contexts, such as discussing infrastructure or making connections between people or ideas.
You can use 桥 (qiáo) in sentences to describe a physical bridge or to symbolize connections. For example, '这座桥连接了两个城市' means 'This bridge connects two cities.' It's also used in phrases like '搭建桥梁', meaning 'to build bridges', often used metaphorically.
The correct measure word for 桥 is 座 (zuò).
Yes, 桥 can also be used metaphorically to describe connections between people or ideas.
