峭 meaning and stroke order
Steep, precipitous, rugged
How to write 峭, stroke by stroke
10 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 峭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- high and steep
- precipitous
- severe or stern
- variant of 峭[qiao4]
How 峭 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mountain.
山 gives the meaning and 肖 hints at the sound.
Radical: 山 (mountain), shared by 111 characters on this site.
How to remember 峭
峭 combines 山 (shān, mountain) on the left with 肖 (xiào) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a mountain 山 so steep that it looks sliced off, and you have 峭, steep.
峭 rarely stands alone in speech. It mostly appears in compounds like 陡峭 (dǒuqiào, steep) and 峭壁 (qiàobì, cliff), often in descriptions of scenery. Example: 这条山路很陡峭。(Zhè tiáo shānlù hěn dǒuqiào.) This mountain path is very steep.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 峭 (qiào) with 俏 (qiào, pretty) and 悄 (qiāo, quiet), which share the same 肖 part. Check the left side: 山 for mountains, 亻 for people, 忄 for feelings. Also note that 悄 has the first tone, not the fourth.
Common words with 峭
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 陡峭 | dǒuqiào | precipitous | |
| 峭壁 | qiàobì | cliff; steep |
峭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 峭
How many strokes are in 峭?
峭 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 峭 mean?
峭 (qiào) means steep, precipitous, rugged. A common word with it is 陡峭 (dǒuqiào), meaning "precipitous".
How do you pronounce 峭?
峭 is pronounced qiào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 峭?
The radical of 峭 is 山, which carries the idea of "mountain". Dictionaries list 峭 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 峭?
The traditional form of 峭 is 陗. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 峭 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 料峭 mean?
料峭 (liàoqiào) describes a sharp, biting chill, usually the cold of early spring, as in 春寒料峭. It uses the 'severe' sense of 峭 rather than 'steep'.
Can 峭 describe a person?
Yes, in written Chinese it can mean stern or severe, for example 峭直 (qiàozhí, upright and stern). In everyday speech this use is uncommon, and 峭 is mostly used for terrain.