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攪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
攪jiǎoto annoy, to disturb, to stir upzg, 23 strokes, radical 扌
jiǎo(jiao3)jiao T3
  1. 1to annoy, to disturb, to stir up
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March 24, 2026

攪jiǎo(jiao3)

The character 攪 (jiǎo) means to disturb, annoy, or stir up something, often referring to causing agitation or disruption. It is commonly used in contexts where someone's actions disrupt peace or tranquility, such as in conversations or situations where someone is being bothersome.

Strokes23Radical扌
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, personal space and tranquility are highly valued, making the act of 攪 (disturbing) particularly frowned upon in social settings. It can refer to being noisy in a quiet place or interrupting someone during a conversation.

Memory tip

Imagine a chef stirring a pot of soup, causing a big splash. The chef is 'jiǎo'-ing up the soup, making a mess and disturbing the calm surface. The radical 攴 (to strike) suggests an action that disrupts, while the phonetic part 夭 hints at a playful or mischievous tone.

Meanings of 攪

jiǎo(jiao3)
1to annoy, to disturb, to stir up
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 攪

攪Simplified
23Strokes
扌Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 攪

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Podcast: 攪

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AI study notes for 攪

Quick Contrast

搅 (jiǎo) vs 干扰 (gānrǎo) — use 攪 (jiǎo) for physical or direct agitation, while 干扰 (gānrǎo) is more abstract, referring to interference.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 攪 (jiǎo) with 搅 (also jiǎo), which is a simplified form but often used in the same contexts. This word is informal and can be perceived as slightly negative, so use it with caution in formal settings. Common collocations include 攪擾 (jiǎo rǎo, to disturb) and 攪動 (jiǎo dòng, to stir up).

HSK Study Tips

Although 攪 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enhance your comprehension of conversational Mandarin. Focus on how it can be used in everyday situations, especially in discussions about personal space or interruptions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 攪 with 搅, mistakenly thinking they have different meanings. Remember, while they are similar, 搅 is the simplified version and is more commonly used in modern contexts. An incorrect sentence might be '他在攪我的心情' instead of the more appropriate '他在搅我的心情'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 攪

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Etymology of 攪

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 觉 represents the sound. Simplified form of 攪.

Memory hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)覺
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

攪 = 扌 + 覺. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 攪

IDS Structure⿰扌覺
攪Full character
=
扌shou3
left
覺jue2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 攪?

How to say to annoy, to disturb, to stir up in Chinese

“to annoy, to disturb, to stir up” in Chinese is攪jiǎo

The character 攪 (jiǎo) means to disturb, annoy, or stir up something, often referring to causing agitation or disruption. It is commonly used in contexts where someone's actions disrupt peace or tranquility, such as in conversations or situations where someone is being bothersome.

When to use 攪

Be careful not to confuse 攪 (jiǎo) with 搅 (also jiǎo), which is a simplified form but often used in the same contexts. This word is informal and can be perceived as slightly negative, so use it with caution in formal settings. Common collocations include 攪擾 (jiǎo rǎo, to disturb) and 攪動 (jiǎo dòng, to stir up).

攪 or something close to it

搅 (jiǎo) vs 干扰 (gānrǎo) — use 攪 (jiǎo) for physical or direct agitation, while 干扰 (gānrǎo) is more abstract, referring to interference.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 攪 with 搅, mistakenly thinking they have different meanings. Remember, while they are similar, 搅 is the simplified version and is more commonly used in modern contexts. An incorrect sentence might be '他在攪我的心情' instead of the more appropriate '他在搅我的心情'.

Write 攪

攪

Practice writing 攪 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 攪

Words containing this character12
搅jiǎoto disturb攪
打搅dǎjiǎoto disturb打攪
搅拌jiǎobànto stir攪拌
搅和to mix (up)攪和
搅乱to disrupt攪亂
搅拌机blender攪拌機
搅动to mix攪動
胡搅蛮缠to pester endlessly (idiom)胡攪蠻纏
搅扰to disturb攪擾
搅混to mix攪混
翻搅to stir up翻攪
胡搅to disturb胡攪
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 攪

What does 搅 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 攪

Generally, 攪 is more informal and may not be suitable for formal writing; use 搅 instead if needed.

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