巧 meaning and stroke order
Opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens
How to write 巧, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 巧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- opportunely
- coincidentally
- as it happens
- skillful
- timely
How 巧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Work.
工 gives the meaning and 丂 hints at the sound.
Radical: 工 (labor), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 巧
巧 (qiǎo) pairs 工 (gōng, work) on the left with 丂 (kǎo) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture someone doing their work 工 with a clever twist 丂, and you get skillful, ingenious.
巧 has two main uses. It can mean skillful, as in 技巧 (jìqiǎo, technique), or it can describe a lucky coincidence, as in 真巧 (zhēn qiǎo, what a coincidence). Example: 真巧，我也在这儿。(Zhēn qiǎo, wǒ yě zài zhèr.) What a coincidence, I'm here too.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 亏 (kuī) or 号 (hào). The right part of 巧 is just 丂, with no extra horizontal stroke on top. Also keep the third tone: say qiǎo, not qiáo as in 桥 (bridge).
Common words with 巧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 巧克力 | qiǎokèlì | (loanword) chocolate | HSK 4 |
| 技巧 | jìqiǎo | skill; technique | HSK 4 |
| 巧妙 | qiǎomiào | ingenious; clever; ingenuity; artifice | HSK 6 |
| 巧合 | qiǎohé | coincidence; coincidental | HSK 7-9 |
| 碰巧 | pèngqiǎo | by chance; by coincidence | HSK 7-9 |
| 凑巧 | còuqiǎo | fortuitously; luckily | HSK 7-9 |
| 恰巧 | qiàqiǎo | by chance; as chance would have it | HSK 7-9 |
| 灵巧 | língqiǎo | deft; nimble | HSK 7-9 |
| 乖巧 | guāiqiǎo | clever (child); smart | HSK 7-9 |
| 心灵手巧 | xīnlíng-shǒuqiǎo | capable; clever | HSK 7-9 |
| 不巧 | bùqiǎo | too bad; unfortunately | |
| 轻巧 | qīngqiǎo | dexterous; deft | |
| 花言巧语 | huāyánqiǎoyǔ | graceful words, flowery speech (idiom); elegant but insincere words; cheating wheedling | |
| 正巧 | zhèngqiǎo | just by chance; to happen to (just at the right time) |
巧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 巧
Learning 巧 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 巧
How many strokes are in 巧?
巧 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 巧 mean?
巧 (qiǎo) means opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens. A common word with it is 巧克力 (qiǎokèlì), meaning "(loanword) chocolate".
How do you pronounce 巧?
巧 is pronounced qiǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 巧?
The radical of 巧 is 工, which carries the idea of "labor". Dictionaries list 巧 under this radical.
Is 巧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 巧 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why does 巧克力 mean chocolate?
巧克力 (qiǎokèlì) is a sound loan of the English word chocolate. The characters were chosen for their sound, so 巧 does not mean clever in this word.
What is the difference between 碰巧, 凑巧 and 恰巧?
All three mean by chance or as it happens, and they are often interchangeable. 碰巧 (pèngqiǎo) is the most casual. 恰巧 (qiàqiǎo) sounds a bit more formal and stresses that the timing was just right.