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桡 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
桡ráoradius, forearm; a bent or twisted piece of woodn, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #66506, Very Hard
桡ráoradius (anatomy)unknown, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #66506, Very Hard
桡ráobone of the forearmunknown, 10 strokes, radical 木, rank #66506, Very Hard
ráo(rao2) T2
  1. 1radius, forearm; a bent or twisted piece of wood
  2. 2radius (anatomy)
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March 24, 2026

桡(橈)ráo(rao2)

The character 桡 (ráo) primarily refers to the radius, which is one of the bones in the forearm. It can also denote a bent or twisted piece of wood, reflecting its physical properties. In anatomy, it specifically describes the bone that runs along the thumb side of the forearm.

Strokes10Radical木Frequency#66506DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the understanding of bones and their connections to overall health is crucial, making terms like 桡 significant in discussions about physical wellbeing.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'raging' river (ráo) that twists and bends through the landscape, just like the radius bone curves in your forearm. The character combines the wood radical (木) with the phonetic component (交), suggesting the twisted nature of both wood and the bone.

Meanings of 桡

ráo(rao2)
1radius, forearm; a bent or twisted piece of wood
2radius (anatomy)
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 桡

桡Simplified
橈Traditional
10Strokes
木Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 桡

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Podcast: 桡

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AI Study Notes for 桡

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 桡 with similar-sounding terms. This character is more formal and technical, often used in medical or anatomical contexts. Be careful with pronunciation, as the tone can easily shift meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Though not currently in the HSK vocabulary lists, 桡 relates to anatomy and medicine, which are common themes in intermediate levels. Focus on understanding its use in medical texts and how it connects with other bone-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 桡 with the character for 'arm' (臂). For example, saying '我有桡痛' (wǒ yǒu ráo tòng) instead of '我有臂痛' (wǒ yǒu bì tòng) to indicate arm pain is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 桡

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Etymology of 桡

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

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 尧 represents the sound. Simplified form of 橈.

Memory Hint

wood

Semantic (meaning)木
+
Phonetic (sound)尧
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 桡

Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 尧 represents the sound. Simplified form of 橈.

  1. 1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half尧 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywood
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 桡? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 桡?

Decomposition of 桡

IDS Structure⿰木尧
桡Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
尧Yao2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 桡?

How to say radius, forearm; a bent or twisted piece of wood in Chinese

“radius, forearm; a bent or twisted piece of wood” in Chinese is桡ráo

The character 桡 (ráo) primarily refers to the radius, which is one of the bones in the forearm. It can also denote a bent or twisted piece of wood, reflecting its physical properties. In anatomy, it specifically describes the bone that runs along the thumb side of the forearm.

When to use 桡

Learners often confuse 桡 with similar-sounding terms. This character is more formal and technical, often used in medical or anatomical contexts. Be careful with pronunciation, as the tone can easily shift meaning.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 桡 with the character for 'arm' (臂). For example, saying '我有桡痛' (wǒ yǒu ráo tòng) instead of '我有臂痛' (wǒ yǒu bì tòng) to indicate arm pain is incorrect.

Write 桡

桡

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

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Word Family of 桡

Words Containing This Character2
桡骨radius (anatomy)橈骨
桡ráoradius (anatomy)橈
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 桡骨 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 桡

桡 refers specifically to the radius bone in the forearm.

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