教 meaning and stroke order
To teach; to instruct
How to write 教, stroke by stroke
11 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
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Meaning of 教
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to teach; to instruct
- (bound form) to teach; to instruct
- a religion
- to cause (sb to do sth); to tell (sb to do sth)
How 教 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Script.
攵 gives the meaning and 孝 hints at the sound.
Radical: 攵 (to rap), shared by 36 characters on this site.
How to remember 教
教 is built from 孝 on the left and 攵 on the right. The 攵 side is the meaning part, often linked to action, and 孝 gives a hint of the sound, so picture a teacher taking action to guide a student.
As a verb meaning to teach someone something, 教 is read jiāo. In compound words like 教室 (jiàoshì) and 教育 (jiàoyù) it is read jiào. Example: 她教我中文。(Tā jiāo wǒ Zhōngwén.) She teaches me Chinese.
Common mistake: Learners often say jiào when 教 stands alone as a verb, but 教我 is jiāo wǒ, while 教师 and 教练 use jiào. Also watch the left side: it is 孝, not 老 or 考, which look similar.
Common words with 教
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 教学楼 | jiàoxuélóu | school building; academic building | HSK 1 |
| 教育 | jiàoyù | to educate; to teach | HSK 2 |
| 教师 | jiàoshī | teacher | HSK 2 |
| 教室 | jiàoshì | classroom | HSK 2 |
| 教学 | jiàoxué | to teach | HSK 2 |
| 教练 | jiàoliàn | to coach; to train; instructor; sports coach; trainer (CL:位[wei4],名[ming2]) | HSK 3 |
| 请教 | qǐngjiào | to ask for guidance; to consult | HSK 3 |
| 教材 | jiàocái | teaching material | HSK 3 |
| 教授 | jiàoshòu | to teach (a subject) | HSK 4 |
| 教训 | jiàoxùn | to provide guidance; to lecture sb; to upbraid; a talking-to; a bitter lesson | HSK 4 |
| 教堂 | jiàotáng | church; chapel | HSK 6 |
| 宗教 | zōngjiào | religion | HSK 6 |
| 基督教 | Jīdūjiào | Christianity | HSK 6 |
| 佛教 | Fójiào | Buddhism | HSK 6 |
教 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 教
How many strokes are in 教?
教 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 教 mean?
教 (jiāo) means to teach; to instruct. A common word with it is 教学楼 (jiàoxuélóu), meaning "school building; academic building".
How do you pronounce 教?
教 has more than one reading: jiāo and jiào. The most common is jiāo, said in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 教?
The radical of 教 is 攵, which carries the idea of "to rap". Dictionaries list 教 under this radical.
Is 教 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 教 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I know whether to read 教 as jiāo or jiào?
Use jiāo when it is a standalone verb with a person or subject after it, as in 教书 (jiāo shū) or 教他游泳. Use jiào in most two-character nouns and set words, such as 教学, 教材, and 请教 (qǐngjiào).
Can 教 mean religion?
Yes, in the jiào reading it can refer to a religion or teaching, usually in compounds. For example, 宗教 (zōngjiào) means religion and 佛教 (Fójiào) means Buddhism.