镖 meaning and stroke order
Spear, harpoon, dart; to escort
How to write 镖, stroke by stroke
16 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 镖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dart-like throwing weapon
- goods sent under the protection of an armed escort
How 镖 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
钅 gives the meaning and 票 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 镖
镖 is built from 钅 (metal) and 票 (piào), which gives the sound. Picture a small metal blade flying like a ticket 票 tossed through the air, and you have a throwing dart.
Today 镖 mostly appears in set words rather than alone. The most common are 保镖 (bǎobiāo, bodyguard) and 飞镖 (fēibiāo, darts). Example: 他请了两个保镖。(Tā qǐng le liǎng gè bǎobiāo.) He hired two bodyguards.
Common mistake: Learners often write 标 (biāo, mark, sign) instead of 镖 because they sound the same. 标 has the wood radical 木 and means a label or standard, while 镖 has the metal radical 钅 and relates to darts or escorting.
Common words with 镖
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 保镖 | bǎobiāo | bodyguard | |
| 飞镖 | fēibiāo | darts (game); dart (weapon shaped like a spearhead) |
镖 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 镖
How many strokes are in 镖?
镖 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 镖 mean?
镖 (biāo) means spear, harpoon, dart; to escort. A common word with it is 保镖 (bǎobiāo), meaning "bodyguard".
How do you pronounce 镖?
镖 is pronounced biāo, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 镖?
The radical of 镖 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 镖 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 镖?
The traditional form of 镖 is 鏢. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 镖 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 镖局 (biāojú) mean in kung fu novels and films?
A 镖局 was an old armed escort agency that protected goods and travelers on the road. The guards who did this work were called 镖师 (biāoshī). You will see these words often in wuxia stories.
Is 镖 pronounced the same as 票?
No. 票 is the sound component but is read piào in the fourth tone. 镖 is read biāo in the first tone, so the hint is only partial.