Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
酵 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
酵jiàoyeast; to leavenn, 14 strokes, radical 酉, rank #79081, Very Hard
酵jiàoleaveningunknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉, rank #79081, Very Hard
酵jiàofermentationunknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉, rank #79081, Very Hard
酵jiàoTaiwan pr. [xiao4]unknown, 14 strokes, radical 酉, rank #79081, Very Hard
jiào(jiao4) T4
  1. 1yeast; to leaven
  2. 2leavening
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
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

JasonAmy

Podcast: 酵

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 酵 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 酵

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

Phonosemantic compound. 酉 represents the meaning and 孝 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

wine

Semantic (meaning)酉
+
Phonetic (sound)孝
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
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?

Write 酵

酵

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

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)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
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.
3
茶开始散发涩味的过程称作发酵。

chá kāi shǐ sàn fā sè wèi de guò chéng chēng zuò fā jiào。

The process, in which the tea develops its characteristic astringency, is known as fermentation.
4
我每天服用干酵母片以净化血液。

wǒ měi tiān fú yòng gān jiào mǔ piàn yǐ jìng huà xiě yè。

I take wheat and yeast tablets daily to purify the blood.
5
果汁存放过久就会发酵。

guǒ zhī cún fàng guò jiǔ jiù huì fā jiào。

Fruit juices ferment if they are kept for too long.
6
果汁若是放置很久,就会发酵.

guǒ zhī ruò shì fàng zhì hěn jiǔ, , jiù huì fā.

Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.
7
加入一平茶匙的酵母后搅拌。

jiā rù yī píng chá chí de jiào mǔ hòu jiǎo bàn。

Stir in 1 level teaspoon of yeast.
8
装瓶以后葡萄酒酵母也能在甜葡萄酒中生长.

zhuāng píng yǐ hòu pú táo jiǔ jiào mǔ yě néng zài tián pú táo jiǔ zhōng shēng cháng.

Wine yeasts can grow in sweet wines even after bottling.
9
发酵时在葡萄酒里加糖以提高酒精浓度.

fā jiào shí zài pú táo jiǔ lǐ jiā táng yǐ tí gāo jiǔ jīng nóng dù.

Sugar is added to the wine during fermentation to increase the alcohol level.
10
本课题研制了 豆乳 、乳酸发酵 豆乳 、豆乳冰淇淋,并探讨了较佳的脱腥方式 、 生产工艺、原料配方,基本获得成功.

běn kè tí yán zhì le dòu、 rǔ 、 rǔ suān fā jiào、 dòu rǔ 、 dòu, rǔ bīng qí lín , bìng tàn tǎo le jiào jiā、 de tuō xīng fāng、 shì 、 shēng chǎn, gōng yì 、 yuán liào pèi.

The soya - beau milk , lactic fermentation soya - bean milk and ice cream of soya - bean milk have been developed.

Cultural Notes for 酵

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 酵

Words Containing This Character6
发酵fājiàoto ferment發酵
酵母leaven
酵母菌yeast
酵素enzyme
酵jiàoyeast
糖酵解glycolysis (anaerobic metabolism of glucose)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 发酵 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 酵

酵母 (jiàomǔ) specifically means 'yeast,' while 酵 (jiào) can refer to the process of fermentation or leavening in general.