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佻 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
佻tiāofrivolous, unsteady; delayg, 8 strokes, radical 亻, rank #54968, Very Hard
tiāo(tiao1)tiao T1
  1. 1frivolous, unsteady; delay
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March 24, 2026

佻tiāo(tiao1)

The character 佻 (tiāo) primarily means frivolous or unsteady, often used to describe actions or behaviors that are light-hearted or lacking seriousness. It can also imply a sense of delay or hesitation in doing something. Commonly, it may appear in contexts discussing someone's character or attitude.

Strokes8Radical亻Frequency#54968DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, being seen as frivolous or unsteady can carry social implications, often viewed negatively in formal settings. The concept of seriousness is valued, particularly in business and family contexts.

Memory tip

Imagine a jester (the character's meaning of frivolous) dancing unsteadily on a tightrope. The character 佻 has a radical that resembles a person (亻) next to a component that suggests movement (兆), reminding you of someone who is light-heartedly balancing and unsteady.

Meanings of 佻

tiāo(tiao1)
1frivolous, unsteady; delay
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 佻

佻Simplified
8Strokes
亻Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 佻

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Podcast: 佻

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AI study notes for 佻

Quick Contrast

轻浮 (qīngfú) vs 轻率 (qīngshuài) — use 佻 (tiāo) for a more nuanced tone of frivolity or unsteadiness, while 轻浮 (qīngfú) emphasizes superficiality and 轻率 (qīngshuài) suggests rashness.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 佻 with other similar characters that convey more serious meanings. This word is informal and should be used in casual conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include phrases about behavior or attitude, such as '佻达' (tiāo dá), meaning frivolous behavior.

HSK Study Tips

Although 佻 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can be useful for students looking to expand their vocabulary around human behaviors and attitudes. Focus on its usage in describing personality traits and practice using it in sentences to gain confidence.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 佻 with 侮 (wǔ), which means to insult. An incorrect usage might be saying '他的态度很侮' (tā de tàidù hěn wǔ), when they meant to say '他的态度很佻' (tā de tàidù hěn tiāo) to describe a frivolous attitude.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 佻

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Etymology of 佻

Decomposition of 佻

IDS Structure⿰亻兆
佻Full character
=
亻ren2
left
兆Zhao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 佻?

How to say frivolous, unsteady; delay in Chinese

“frivolous, unsteady; delay” in Chinese is佻tiāo

The character 佻 (tiāo) primarily means frivolous or unsteady, often used to describe actions or behaviors that are light-hearted or lacking seriousness. It can also imply a sense of delay or hesitation in doing something. Commonly, it may appear in contexts discussing someone's character or attitude.

When to use 佻

Be careful not to confuse 佻 with other similar characters that convey more serious meanings. This word is informal and should be used in casual conversations rather than formal writing. Common collocations include phrases about behavior or attitude, such as '佻达' (tiāo dá), meaning frivolous behavior.

佻 or something close to it

轻浮 (qīngfú) vs 轻率 (qīngshuài) — use 佻 (tiāo) for a more nuanced tone of frivolity or unsteadiness, while 轻浮 (qīngfú) emphasizes superficiality and 轻率 (qīngshuài) suggests rashness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 佻 with 侮 (wǔ), which means to insult. An incorrect usage might be saying '他的态度很侮' (tā de tàidù hěn wǔ), when they meant to say '他的态度很佻' (tā de tàidù hěn tiāo) to describe a frivolous attitude.

Write 佻

佻

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

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Word Family of 佻

Words containing this character2
轻佻frivolous輕佻
佻tiāofrivolous
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 佻

What does 轻佻 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 佻

The opposite of 佻 (tiāo) would be serious or steady, which can be expressed with characters like 严肃 (yán sù) for serious.

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