胶 meaning and stroke order
Glue, gum, resin, rubber; sticky; to glue
How to write 胶, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 胶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to glue
- glue
- gum
- rubber
How 胶 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Tendons that connect 交 muscles ⺼; 交 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 胶
The flesh radical ⺼ sits beside 交 (jiāo, to cross or connect), like tendons that connect muscles. Think of 胶 as the sticky stuff that joins things together, and 交 also gives the sound jiāo.
胶 (jiāo) usually appears in compound words for glue, rubber, tape, and film rather than standing alone. Common examples are 胶水 (jiāoshuǐ, glue), 胶带 (jiāodài, tape), and 橡胶 (xiàngjiāo, rubber). Example: 我需要一点胶水。(Wǒ xūyào yìdiǎn jiāoshuǐ.) I need a little glue.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 校 (xiào) or 较 (jiào) instead, because all three share 交. Remember that 胶 has the flesh radical ⺼ on the left and is first tone jiāo, not fourth tone like 较 (jiào).
Common words with 胶
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 胶带 | jiāodài | adhesive tape; magnetic tape | HSK 5 |
| 胶水 | jiāoshuǐ | glue | HSK 5 |
| 橡胶 | xiàngjiāo | rubber; caoutchouc | HSK 7-9 |
| 胶片 | jiāopiàn | (photographic) film | HSK 7-9 |
| 胶囊 | jiāonáng | (pharm.) capsule | HSK 7-9 |
| 胶卷 | jiāojuǎn | roll of film | |
| 塑胶 | sùjiāo | synthetic resin; plastic cement; (Tw) plastic | |
| 胶布 | jiāobù | adhesive plaster; band-aid | |
| 凝胶 | níngjiāo | gel | |
| 发胶 | fàjiāo | hair gel |
胶 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 胶
How many strokes are in 胶?
胶 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 胶 mean?
胶 (jiāo) means glue, gum, resin, rubber; sticky; to glue. A common word with it is 胶带 (jiāodài), meaning "adhesive tape; magnetic tape".
How do you pronounce 胶?
胶 is pronounced jiāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 胶?
The radical of 胶 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 胶 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 胶?
The traditional form of 胶 is 膠. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 胶 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 胶 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 胶 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is the left part of 胶 the moon radical 月?
It looks like 月 (yuè, moon), but here it is the flesh radical ⺼, which relates to the body. That fits the hint about tendons connecting muscles.
How do you say plastic or rubber in Chinese using 胶?
Rubber is 橡胶 (xiàngjiāo). 塑胶 (sùjiāo) means synthetic resin, and in Taiwan it is often used for plastic. A medicine capsule is 胶囊 (jiāonáng).