娇 meaning and stroke order
Seductive, lovable, tender; pampered; frail
How to write 娇, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 娇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- lovable
- pampered
- tender
- delicate
- frail
How 娇 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Woman.
女 gives the meaning and 乔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 女 (woman), shared by 156 characters on this site.
How to remember 娇
娇 combines 女 (woman) with 乔 (qiáo), which gives the sound. Picture a delicate, pampered girl 女 standing on tiptoe, and remember that 乔 hints at the jiāo sound.
娇 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in words like 撒娇 (sājiāo), 娇气 (jiāoqì) and 娇小 (jiāoxiǎo), describing someone cute, delicate, or spoiled. Example: 她在妈妈面前撒娇。(Tā zài māma miànqián sājiāo.) She acts cute and spoiled in front of her mom.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 娇 (jiāo) with 骄 (jiāo, proud) because they share 乔 and the same sound. 娇 with 女 is about being delicate or pampered, while 骄 with 马 is about arrogance, as in 骄傲 (jiāo'ào).
Common words with 娇
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
娇 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 娇
How many strokes are in 娇?
娇 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 娇 mean?
娇 (jiāo) means seductive, lovable, tender; pampered; frail. A common word with it is 娇惯 (jiāoguàn), meaning "to pamper; to coddle".
How do you pronounce 娇?
娇 is pronounced jiāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 娇?
The radical of 娇 is 女, which carries the idea of "woman". Dictionaries list 娇 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 娇?
The traditional form of 娇 is 嬌. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 娇 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 娇 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 娇 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 娇气 a compliment or a criticism?
娇气 (jiāoqì) is usually mildly negative. It means someone is fragile, fussy, or can't handle hardship, like a child who complains about every small discomfort.
Can 撒娇 be used for adults and men?
Yes. 撒娇 (sājiāo) describes anyone acting cute or childish to get attention or a favor, often a partner or child. It is common in casual speech and is not limited to women.