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鮫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鮫jiāosharkx, 17 strokes, radical 魚, rank #54402, Very Hard
jiāo(jiao1) T1
  1. 1shark
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鮫jiāo(jiao1)

The character 鮫 (jiāo) specifically refers to a shark, a type of large, predatory fish found in oceans. It is often used in contexts relating to marine life, fishing, and sometimes metaphorically to describe aggressive behavior or predatory characteristics in business or social situations.

Strokes17Radical魚Frequency#54402DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

Sharks hold a significant place in Chinese culinary culture, particularly in luxury dishes like shark fin soup, which is often associated with status and celebration, despite growing awareness and controversy surrounding shark conservation.

Memory Tip

Think of the character 鮫 as a 'sharp' predator in the sea. The radical 魚 (fish) at the bottom represents its aquatic nature, while the upper part can remind you of sharp teeth. Imagine a shark with its sharp teeth slicing through the water, which sounds like 'jiāo.'

Meanings of 鮫

jiāo(jiao1)
1shark
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鮫

鮫Simplified
17Strokes
魚Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鮫

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Podcast: 鮫

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AI Study Notes for 鮫

Quick Contrast

鲨 (shā) — use 鮫 (jiāo) when referring to a shark in a more literary or formal context, while 鲨 (shā) is more commonly used in everyday language.

Usage Notes

In spoken language, ensure proper pronunciation of the first tone (jiāo) to convey the correct meaning. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words by practicing tone distinctions. Common collocations include phrases related to marine biology or culinary contexts, like 'shark fin soup.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 鮫 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to HSK Level 3 words related to animals and nature. Focus on recognizing the radical 魚 for other fish-related terms as you expand your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 鮫 as 'jiào' (fourth tone) instead of 'jiāo' (first tone). Additionally, some may confuse it with other fish names, such as '鱼' (yú), which means fish in general.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鮫

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Etymology of 鮫

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

fish

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鮫

  1. 1The meaning half魚 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half交 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfish
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 鮫? 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 鮫?

Decomposition of 鮫

IDS Structure⿰魚交
鮫Full Character
=
魚yu2
left
交jiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鮫?

How to say shark in Chinese

“shark” in Chinese is鮫jiāo

The character 鮫 (jiāo) specifically refers to a shark, a type of large, predatory fish found in oceans. It is often used in contexts relating to marine life, fishing, and sometimes metaphorically to describe aggressive behavior or predatory characteristics in business or social situations.

When to use 鮫

In spoken language, ensure proper pronunciation of the first tone (jiāo) to convey the correct meaning. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words by practicing tone distinctions. Common collocations include phrases related to marine biology or culinary contexts, like 'shark fin soup.'

鮫 or something close to it

鲨 (shā) — use 鮫 (jiāo) when referring to a shark in a more literary or formal context, while 鲨 (shā) is more commonly used in everyday language.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 鮫 as 'jiào' (fourth tone) instead of 'jiāo' (first tone). Additionally, some may confuse it with other fish names, such as '鱼' (yú), which means fish in general.

Write 鮫

鮫

Practice writing 鮫 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 鮫

Words Containing This Character3
鲛jiāoshark鮫
马鲛鱼Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)馬鮫魚
鲛鱼shark鮫魚
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 鲛 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鮫

No, 鮫 is more often found in written contexts related to marine life; common people may refer to it as '鲨鱼' (shāyú) instead.

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