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校 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
校jiàoto proofreadHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校jiàoschoolHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校jiàoto checkHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校jiàomilitary officerHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校jiàoto compareHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校jiàoschool; military field officerHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校xiàoto proofreadHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校xiàoschoolHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校xiàoto checkHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校xiàomilitary officerHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校xiàoto compareHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
校xiàoschool; military field officerHSK 2, ng, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #3055, Hard
jiào(jiao4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1to proofread
  2. 2school
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
校jiào(jiao4)

The character 校 (jiào) primarily means 'school' in Mandarin, referring to an institution for education. It can also mean 'to proofread' or 'to check', indicating an action of verifying or correcting written material. In certain contexts, it can refer to military officers or fields, showcasing its versatility in usage.

Strokes10Radical木Frequency#3055DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 校 (school) is deeply valued, as education is seen as a path to success and societal respect. The traditional emphasis on education is reflected in the high importance placed on academic achievement.

Memory Tip

Imagine a school (校) where students are checking their homework. The character has a roof (亠) representing a building, and beneath it, you can think of students proofreading their work. The pronunciation 'jiào' sounds like 'jiao', as in 'jockeying for grades'.

Meanings of 校

jiào(jiao4)
primary
1to proofread
2school
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 校

校Simplified
10Strokes
木Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#3055Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2

Podcast: 校

JasonAmy

Podcast: 校

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 校

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a school (校) where students are checking their homework. The character has a roof (亠) representing a building, and beneath it, you can think of students proofreading their work. The pronunciation 'jiào' sounds like 'jiao', as in 'jockeying for grades'.

Usage Notes

校 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, particularly in educational settings. A common mistake is confusing it with 学 (xué), which means 'to learn' or 'study'. Be mindful of the tone; mispronouncing it as 'xiao' changes the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

校 is not included in HSK levels, but it connects with other educational-related terms such as 学校 (xuéxiào, school) and 学习 (xuéxí, to study). Students should focus on its various meanings and usage in different contexts.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 校 (school) is deeply valued, as education is seen as a path to success and societal respect. The traditional emphasis on education is reflected in the high importance placed on academic achievement.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 校 with related terms like 学校 (xuéxiào) and may mistakenly use it in contexts where 'to study' is appropriate. For example, saying '我去校' (wǒ qù jiào) instead of '我去学校' (wǒ qù xuéxiào) for 'I am going to school' is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 校

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Etymology of 校

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

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 交 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

wood

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 校?

Decomposition of 校

IDS Structure⿰木交
校Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
交jiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 校?

Write 校

校

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 校

校 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

车站东边是一个学____。

East of the station is a school.

Example Sentences for 校 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
以前我曾经做过大学校报的主编。

yǐ qián wǒ zēng jīng zuò guò dà xué xiào bào de zhǔ biān。

I used to edit the college paper in the old days.
2
在校时我的数学跟不上。

zài xiào shí wǒ de shù xué gēn bù shàng。

I got left behind at school with the maths.
3
学校对你的孩子负有法律上的安全责任。

xué xiào duì nǐ de hái zǐ fù yǒu fǎ lǜ shàng de ān quán zé rèn。

The school is legally responsible for your child's safety.
4
你知道，战争期间我是一名陆军少校。

nǐ zhī dào， ， zhàn zhēng qī jiān wǒ shì yī míng lù jūn shǎo。

I was a major in the war, you know.
5
坦率地说，你认为这个学校怎么样？

tǎn shuài dì shuō， ， nǐ rèn wéi zhè gè xué xiào zěn mó？

What do you think of the school, in your honest opinion?
6
要当校长，你就得脸皮厚一些。

yào dāng xiào cháng， ， nǐ jiù dé liǎn pí hòu yī。

You need a thick skin to be a headmaster.
7
许多校舍不安全，有些简直是摇摇欲坠。

xǔ duō xiào shě bù ān quán， ， yǒu xiē jiǎn zhí shì yáo yáo yù。

Many school buildings are unsafe, and some are falling apart.
8
在主日学校她是她们班的班花。

zài zhǔ rì xué xiào tā shì tā mén bān de bān huā。

She was the belle of her Sunday School class.
9
校友关系当然是帮了忙的。

xiào yǒu guān xì dāng rán shì bāng le máng de。

Of course, the old school tie has been a help.
10
哪个校长只要犯了这样的错误都会被开除。

nǎ gè xiào cháng zhī yào fàn le zhè yàng de cuò wù dū huì bèi kāi chú。

Any head teacher who made errors like this would be chucked out.

Cultural Notes for 校

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of 校 (school) is deeply valued, as education is seen as a path to success and societal respect. The traditional emphasis on education is reflected in the high importance placed on academic achievement.

Word Family of 校

Words Containing This Character20
学校xuéxiàoschool學校
校jiàoschool
校长xiàozhǎngheadmaster校長
上校colonel
高校abbr. for 高等學校|高等学校
校园xiàoyuáncampus校園
少校major
院校college
中校commander
校车school bus校車
校服school uniform
校友schoolmate
军校military school軍校
校方the school authorities
母校alma mater
校外off campus
校正to correct
分校branch of a school
党校(political) party school黨校
校舍school building
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 学校 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 校

It primarily means 'school', but can also mean 'to proofread' or 'to check'.