跷 meaning and stroke order
To stand on tiptoe; stilts
How to write 跷, stroke by stroke
13 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
- 11
- 12
- 13
Meaning of 跷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to raise one's foot
- to stand on tiptoe
- stilts
- variant of 蹺|跷[qiao1]
How 跷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 尧 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 跷
跷 is built from the foot radical ⻊ (from 足, foot) on the left and 尧 (yáo) on the right, which hints at the sound. Picture a foot lifting up high, as if raising your heel to stand on tiptoe.
跷 often describes lifting a foot or leg, as in 跷脚 (qiāo jiǎo, to stand on tiptoe) and 跷二郎腿 (qiāo èrláng tuǐ, to cross one's legs). It also appears in the common word 蹊跷 (qīqiāo), meaning something is odd or fishy. Example: 这件事有点儿蹊跷。(Zhè jiàn shì yǒudiǎnr qīqiāo.) This matter is a bit fishy.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 跷 (qiāo) with 翘 (qiào), which shares the 尧 component but uses 羽 and means to stick up or tilt. Write 跷 with the foot radical when the meaning involves feet or legs.
Common words with 跷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蹊跷 | qīqiāo | odd; queer; strange; fishy |
跷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 跷
How many strokes are in 跷?
跷 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 跷 mean?
跷 (qiāo) means to stand on tiptoe; stilts. A common word with it is 蹊跷 (qīqiāo), meaning "odd; queer; strange; fishy".
How do you pronounce 跷?
跷 is pronounced qiāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 跷?
The radical of 跷 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 跷 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 跷?
The traditional form of 跷 is 蹺 and 蹻. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 跷 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 跷跷板 mean?
跷跷板 (qiāoqiāobǎn) is a seesaw. The repeated 跷 suggests one side going up while the other goes down.
How do you say to cross your legs using 跷?
The common phrase is 跷二郎腿 (qiāo èrláng tuǐ), meaning to sit with one leg crossed over the other. You may also see 跷腿 (qiāo tuǐ) in casual speech.