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March 24, 2026
椒jiāo(jiao1)
椒 (jiāo) refers to pepper, a spice commonly used in cooking to add flavor and heat to dishes. It can denote various types of pepper, including both the spicy kind and the milder varieties. This character is often encountered in culinary contexts and discussions about seasoning.
Strokes12Radical木Frequency#26805DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, pepper plays a significant role, especially in Sichuan cuisine where peppercorns are used to create a unique numbing spiciness. This emphasizes the diverse flavor profiles in Chinese cooking.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'jolly' chef (jiāo sounds like 'jow') sprinkling vibrant red pepper (the character looks somewhat like a pepper pod with its curves). The '木' radical at the bottom represents wood or plants, reminding you that peppers grow on plants.
Meanings of 椒
jiāo(jiao1)
1pepper
2pepper, spice
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 椒
椒Simplified
12Strokes
木Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#26805Frequency Rank
Podcast: 椒
Podcast: 椒
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AI Study Notes for 椒
Quick Contrast
椒 (jiāo) vs 辣椒 (làjiāo) — use 椒 for general reference to pepper types, while 辣椒 specifically refers to hot peppers.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 椒 with other similar characters like 辣 (là), which means spicy. The word is generally informal and is often used in cooking contexts. Common collocations include 椒盐 (jiāo yán), meaning 'pepper salt'.
HSK Study Tips
While 椒 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to food-related vocabulary often found in early stages. Students should focus on recognizing it in menus or recipes, as well as its pronunciation.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 椒 with 辣 (là), which means spicy. For example, saying '我喜欢辣椒' (Wǒ xǐhuān làjiāo) is correct for 'I like spicy peppers', while using 椒 would be incorrect in this context.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 椒
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Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 叔 represents the sound.
1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
2The sound half叔 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaytree
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 椒? 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 椒?
Decomposition of 椒
IDS Structure⿰木叔
椒Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
叔shu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 椒?
How to say pepper in Chinese
“pepper” in Chinese is椒jiāo
椒 (jiāo) refers to pepper, a spice commonly used in cooking to add flavor and heat to dishes. It can denote various types of pepper, including both the spicy kind and the milder varieties. This character is often encountered in culinary contexts and discussions about seasoning.
When to use 椒
Be careful not to confuse 椒 with other similar characters like 辣 (là), which means spicy. The word is generally informal and is often used in cooking contexts. Common collocations include 椒盐 (jiāo yán), meaning 'pepper salt'.
椒 or something close to it
椒 (jiāo) vs 辣椒 (làjiāo) — use 椒 for general reference to pepper types, while 辣椒 specifically refers to hot peppers.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 椒 with 辣 (là), which means spicy. For example, saying '我喜欢辣椒' (Wǒ xǐhuān làjiāo) is correct for 'I like spicy peppers', while using 椒 would be incorrect in this context.
Write 椒
椒
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Practice writing 椒 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 椒
椒 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 2 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
你可以在15分钟内做出一道便宜的辣____素菜。
You can cook a cheap veggie chilli in 15 minutes.
Example Sentences for 椒 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你可以在15分钟内做出一道便宜的辣椒素菜。
nǐ kě yǐ zài15 15 fēn zhōng nèi zuò chū yī dào biàn yí de là jiāo sù。
