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醮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
醮jiàoto anoint, to perform a rite; Daoist or Buddhist ceremonyg, 19 strokes, radical 酉, rank #90234, Very Hard
醮jiàoto perform sacrificeunknown, 19 strokes, radical 酉, rank #90234, Very Hard
jiào(jiao4) T4
  1. 1to anoint, to perform a rite; Daoist or Buddhist ceremony
  2. 2to perform sacrifice
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

醮jiào(jiao4)

The character 醮 (jiào) primarily means to anoint or to perform a ceremonial rite, often associated with Daoist or Buddhist practices. It is commonly used in the context of religious ceremonies and rituals, where offerings or sacrifices are made to deities or ancestors.

Strokes19Radical酉Frequency#90234DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, 醮 is often associated with important festivals and events where communities gather to perform rituals to honor their ancestors and deities, reflecting the deep-rooted beliefs in spirituality and the afterlife.

Memory Tip

Imagine a priest pouring a sacred liquid (the radical 酉, which relates to wine or liquor) over a statue during a ceremony. The sound 'jiào' can be remembered as the priest ‘shouting’ the names of the deities while performing the anointing ritual.

Meanings of 醮

jiào(jiao4)
1to anoint, to perform a rite; Daoist or Buddhist ceremony
2to perform sacrifice
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 醮

醮Simplified
19Strokes
酉Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 醮

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Podcast: 醮

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AI Study Notes for 醮

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 醮 is predominantly used in formal or religious contexts, so it might not be suitable for everyday conversation. Common collocations include 醮典 (jiàodiǎn - ritual ceremony) and 醮祭 (jiàojì - sacrificial offering). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words that have different meanings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 醮 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it relates to HSK Level 5 terms that involve religious and cultural practices. Focus on understanding its usage in the context of ceremonies and its connection to other characters related to rituals.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 醮 with other words like 教 (jiào - to teach) due to similar pronunciation. For instance, using 醮 in a non-religious context can lead to misunderstandings; the correct use should be tied to rituals and ceremonies.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 醮

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Etymology of 醮

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

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

Memory Hint

wine

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 醮

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

  1. 1The meaning half酉 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half焦 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywine
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 醮? 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 醮?

Decomposition of 醮

IDS Structure⿰酉焦
醮Full Character
=
酉you3
left
焦Jiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 醮?

How to say to anoint, to perform a rite; Daoist or Buddhist ceremony in Chinese

“to anoint, to perform a rite; Daoist or Buddhist ceremony” in Chinese is醮jiào

The character 醮 (jiào) primarily means to anoint or to perform a ceremonial rite, often associated with Daoist or Buddhist practices. It is commonly used in the context of religious ceremonies and rituals, where offerings or sacrifices are made to deities or ancestors.

When to use 醮

Be mindful that 醮 is predominantly used in formal or religious contexts, so it might not be suitable for everyday conversation. Common collocations include 醮典 (jiàodiǎn - ritual ceremony) and 醮祭 (jiàojì - sacrificial offering). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words that have different meanings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 醮 with other words like 教 (jiào - to teach) due to similar pronunciation. For instance, using 醮 in a non-religious context can lead to misunderstandings; the correct use should be tied to rituals and ceremonies.

Write 醮

醮

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 醮

Words Containing This Character1
醮jiàoto perform sacrifice
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 醮 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 醮

It refers to the act of performing a ceremonial rite or anointing during religious practices in Daoism or Buddhism.

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