unknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉, rank #79081, Very Hard
酵
jiào
fermentation
unknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉, rank #79081, Very Hard
酵
jiào
Taiwan pr. [xiao4]
unknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉, rank #79081, Very Hard
jiào(jiao4) T4
1yeast; to leaven
2leavening
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March 24, 2026
酵jiào(jiao4)
酵 (jiào) refers to yeast, a fungus used in baking and brewing to cause fermentation. It is commonly used in contexts related to cooking, particularly for making bread and alcoholic beverages, where leavening is required to create a light texture.
Strokes14Radical酉Frequency#79081DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, fermentation is a vital process not just for baking, but also for traditional foods like soy sauce and pickled vegetables, showcasing the importance of fermentation in enhancing flavors.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'jolly' baker who uses yeast to make fluffy bread. The left part '酉' looks like a cup, suggesting the brewing process, while the right part '交' sounds like 'jiao' and reminds you of the mixture of ingredients in fermentation.
Meanings of 酵
jiào(jiao4)
1yeast; to leaven
2leavening
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 酵
酵Simplified
14Strokes
酉Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 酵
Podcast: 酵
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AI Study Notes for 酵
Quick Contrast
酵母 (jiàomǔ) refers specifically to yeast as a biological organism, while 酵 (jiào) can refer to the fermentation process or the action of leavening.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the pronunciation; the common mispronunciation uses the fourth tone (xiao4), which can alter the meaning. This term is mainly used in culinary contexts, and collocations include '酵母' (yeast) and '发酵' (fermentation).
HSK Study Tips
Although 酵 is not included in the official HSK levels, it connects to HSK vocabulary related to cooking and food. Students should focus on understanding fermentation processes and related terms to enhance their culinary vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 酵 with similar-sounding words like 小 (xiǎo), which means 'small.' For example, saying '发酵' (fāxiǎo) instead of '发酵' (fājiào) is a common mistake; the correct term for fermentation should use the first tone.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 酵
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Phonosemantic compound. 酉 represents the meaning and 孝 represents the sound.
1The meaning half酉 carries the sense.
2The sound half孝 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaywine
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 酵? 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 酵?
Decomposition of 酵
IDS Structure⿰酉孝
酵Full Character
=
酉you3
left
孝xiao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 酵?
How to say yeast; to leaven in Chinese
“yeast; to leaven” in Chinese is酵jiào
酵 (jiào) refers to yeast, a fungus used in baking and brewing to cause fermentation. It is commonly used in contexts related to cooking, particularly for making bread and alcoholic beverages, where leavening is required to create a light texture.
When to use 酵
Be cautious with the pronunciation; the common mispronunciation uses the fourth tone (xiao4), which can alter the meaning. This term is mainly used in culinary contexts, and collocations include '酵母' (yeast) and '发酵' (fermentation).
酵 or something close to it
酵母 (jiàomǔ) refers specifically to yeast as a biological organism, while 酵 (jiào) can refer to the fermentation process or the action of leavening.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 酵 with similar-sounding words like 小 (xiǎo), which means 'small.' For example, saying '发酵' (fāxiǎo) instead of '发酵' (fājiào) is a common mistake; the correct term for fermentation should use the first tone.
Write 酵
酵
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Practice writing 酵 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 酵
酵 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 4 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
和好的面包面团靠火放着,好让它发____.
The bread mixture was set beside the fire to rise.
Example Sentences for 酵 (10)
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1
和好的面包面团靠火放着,好让它发酵.
hé hǎo de miàn bāo miàn tuán kào huǒ fàng zháo, , hǎo ràng tā fā.
The bread mixture was set beside the fire to rise.
2
能在肠胃里迅速发酵的食物是绝佳的天然通便剂。
néng zài cháng wèi lǐ xùn sù fā jiào de shí wù shì jué jiā de tiān rán tōng biàn jì。
Foods that ferment quickly in the stomach are excellent natural laxatives.
