竅 meaning and stroke order
Hole, opening, aperture
How to write 竅, stroke by stroke
18 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 竅
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- hole
- opening
- orifice (of the human body)
- (fig.) key (to the solution of a problem)
How 竅 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hole.
穴 gives the meaning and 敫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 竅
The top part 穴 (xué) means cave or hole, which gives the meaning of an opening. The bottom part 敫 (jiǎo) hints at the sound, so picture a small hole at the top of the character that lets light in.
竅 (simplified 窍) rarely stands alone. It usually appears in words about a clever method or suddenly understanding something, like 窍门 (qiàomén) and 开窍 (kāiqiào). Example: 学语言有什么窍门？(Xué yǔyán yǒu shénme qiàomén?) Is there a trick to learning languages?
Common mistake: Learners often read 窍 as qiǎo because it looks like 巧 (qiǎo, clever), and the meanings feel related. The correct tone is fourth tone, qiào.
Common words with 竅
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 竅
How many strokes are in 竅?
竅 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 竅 mean?
竅 (qiào) means hole, opening, aperture. A common word with it is 诀窍 (juéqiào), meaning "secret; trick".
How do you pronounce 竅?
竅 is pronounced qiào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 竅?
The radical of 竅 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 竅 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 竅?
竅 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 窍, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 一窍不通 mean and is it rude?
It means to know nothing at all about a subject, as if not one opening of the mind lets the idea in. It is fine to say about yourself, like 我对电脑一窍不通 (I know nothing about computers), but saying it about someone else can sound critical.
What is the difference between 窍门 and 诀窍?
Both mean a trick or knack. 窍门 (qiàomén) is more casual and common for everyday tips, while 诀窍 (juéqiào) suggests a special secret or key technique that experts know.