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皎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
皎jiǎowhite; bright, brilliant; clearzg, 11 strokes, radical 白
jiǎo(jiao3)jiao T3
  1. 1white; bright, brilliant; clear
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March 24, 2026

皎jiǎo(jiao3)

The character 皎 (jiǎo) primarily means bright or clear, often used to describe something that shines or has a brilliant appearance. It is commonly associated with light, clarity, and purity, such as the brightness of the moon or the clarity of a surface. This character is often used in literary contexts to evoke a sense of beauty and brilliance.

Strokes11Radical白
Cultural note

The character 皎 is often associated with traditional Chinese poetry, where the brightness of the moon is a common theme symbolizing beauty and longing. In Chinese culture, the moon is celebrated during festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival, making this character relevant in various cultural contexts.

Memory tip

Imagine a bright white moon (the character's meaning) shining in the night sky. The character 皎 looks like a round moon surrounded by clear air. Remember 'jiǎo' as the sound of the moon's soft glow, illuminating the darkness.

Meanings of 皎

jiǎo(jiao3)
1white; bright, brilliant; clear
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 皎

皎Simplified
11Strokes
白Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 皎

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Podcast: 皎

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AI study notes for 皎

Quick Contrast

皎 (jiǎo) vs 明 (míng) — use 皎 for a more poetic or literary sense of brightness, while 明 is more common and straightforward.

Usage Notes

皎 is typically used in a literary or poetic context rather than in everyday conversation. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. It also often appears in collocations with words related to brightness or clarity, such as 皎洁 (bright and clean).

HSK Study Tips

Although 皎 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it relates to other HSK words like 明 (míng, bright) and 清 (qīng, clear). Students should focus on recognizing its literary usage and how it connects with themes of light and clarity in Chinese texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 皎 with similar characters like 绍 (shào) or 照 (zhào), which have different meanings. For example, saying '我今晚要看皎月' (I want to see the 'bright' moon tonight) can be misleading; it should be '明月' (míng yuè) to correctly express 'bright moon'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 皎

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Etymology of 皎

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

white

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

Origin

皎 = 白 + 交. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 皎

IDS Structure⿰白交
皎Full character
=
白Bai2
left
交jiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 皎?

How to say white; bright, brilliant; clear in Chinese

“white; bright, brilliant; clear” in Chinese is皎jiǎo

The character 皎 (jiǎo) primarily means bright or clear, often used to describe something that shines or has a brilliant appearance. It is commonly associated with light, clarity, and purity, such as the brightness of the moon or the clarity of a surface. This character is often used in literary contexts to evoke a sense of beauty and brilliance.

When to use 皎

皎 is typically used in a literary or poetic context rather than in everyday conversation. Be cautious not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings. It also often appears in collocations with words related to brightness or clarity, such as 皎洁 (bright and clean).

皎 or something close to it

皎 (jiǎo) vs 明 (míng) — use 皎 for a more poetic or literary sense of brightness, while 明 is more common and straightforward.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 皎 with similar characters like 绍 (shào) or 照 (zhào), which have different meanings. For example, saying '我今晚要看皎月' (I want to see the 'bright' moon tonight) can be misleading; it should be '明月' (míng yuè) to correctly express 'bright moon'.

Write 皎

皎

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

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Word Family of 皎

Words containing this character4
皎洁shining clean皎潔
皎jiǎobright
皎皎clear and bright
皎白bright white
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 皎

What does 皎洁 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 皎

It is pronounced as 'jiǎo', with a rising tone, similar to how you would say 'jow' in English with a slight upward inflection.

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