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教 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
教jiàoto teachHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiàoreligionHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiàoteachingHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiàoto makeHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiàoto causeHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiàoto tellHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiàoschool, educationHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiàosurname JiaoHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāoto teachHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāoreligionHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāoteachingHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāoto makeHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāoto causeHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāoto tellHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāoschool, educationHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
教jiāosurname JiaoHSK 2, v, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #631, Easy
jiāo(jiao1)jiao
primary
T1
  1. 1to teach
  2. 2religion
Also a Chinese surname, Jiao — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

教jiāo(jiao1)

The character 教 (jiāo) primarily means 'to teach.' It is commonly used in educational contexts, referring to the act of imparting knowledge or skills. Additionally, it can denote religious teachings or the act of causing something to happen.

Strokes11Radical攵Frequency#631DifficultyEasy
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, teaching is highly valued, and teachers are often respected figures in society. The emphasis on education is reflected in traditional sayings and practices, such as the importance of filial piety towards one's teachers.

Memory tip

Imagine a teacher (教) standing before a class, passionately sharing knowledge. The left part of the character (教) resembles a person with arms raised, eager to enlighten others, while the right part can be visualized as a platform for learning, like a school.

Meanings of 教

jiāo(jiao1)
primary
1to teach
2religion
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 教 means.

About 教

教Simplified
11Strokes
攵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#631Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 教

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Podcast: 教

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AI study notes for 教

Quick Contrast

教 (jiāo) vs 训 (xùn) — use 教 when referring to teaching in an educational context, while 训 is more about training or instructing, often in a disciplinary sense.

Usage Notes

In informal contexts, 教 can imply a more casual teaching or telling, while in formal contexts, it may convey a structured educational role. Common collocations include 教书 (to teach books) and 教学 (teaching and learning). Be cautious with tones; the correct pronunciation is 'jiāo' with the first tone.

HSK Study Tips

As part of HSK Level 3, 教 connects with other education-related vocabulary like 学 (xué, to learn) and 师 (shī, teacher). Focus on using it in sentences about education and teaching scenarios to build contextual understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 教 (to teach) with 学 (to learn). For example, saying '我教英语' (I learn English) instead of '我教英语' (I teach English) demonstrates this mistake.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 教

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Etymology of 教

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

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

Memory hint

script

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

Origin

教 = 攵 + 孝. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 教

IDS Structure⿰孝攵
教Full character
=
孝xiao4
left
攵pu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 教?

How to say to teach in Chinese

“to teach” in Chinese is教jiào

The character 教 (jiāo) primarily means 'to teach.' It is commonly used in educational contexts, referring to the act of imparting knowledge or skills. Additionally, it can denote religious teachings or the act of causing something to happen.

When to use 教

In informal contexts, 教 can imply a more casual teaching or telling, while in formal contexts, it may convey a structured educational role. Common collocations include 教书 (to teach books) and 教学 (teaching and learning). Be cautious with tones; the correct pronunciation is 'jiāo' with the first tone.

教 or something close to it

教 (jiāo) vs 训 (xùn) — use 教 when referring to teaching in an educational context, while 训 is more about training or instructing, often in a disciplinary sense.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 教 (to teach) with 学 (to learn). For example, saying '我教英语' (I learn English) instead of '我教英语' (I teach English) demonstrates this mistake.

Write 教

教

Practice writing 教 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 教

教 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 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

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

老师____我们汉语。

The teacher teaches us Chinese.

Example sentences for 教 (28)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
vto teach12
1
老师每天教我们中文。

Lǎoshī měitiān jiāo wǒmen zhōngwén.

The teacher teaches us Chinese every day.
2
妈妈教我怎么做饭。

Māma jiāo wǒ zěnme zuò fàn.

Mom teaches me how to cook.
3
他在学校教数学。

Tā zài xuéxiào jiāo shùxué.

He teaches mathematics at school.
4
李老师教我们画画。

Lǐ lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen huà huà.

Teacher Li teaches us to draw.
5
老师每天教我们中文。

Lǎoshī měitiān jiāo wǒmen zhōngwén.

The teacher teaches us Chinese every day.
6
妈妈教我怎么做饭。

Māma jiāo wǒ zěnme zuò fàn.

Mom teaches me how to cook.
7
他在学校教数学。

Tā zài xuéxiào jiāo shùxué.

He teaches mathematics at school.
8
李老师教我们画画。

Lǐ lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen huà huà.

Teacher Li teaches us to draw.
9
老师每天教我们中文。

Lǎoshī měitiān jiāo wǒmen zhōngwén.

The teacher teaches us Chinese every day.
10
妈妈教我怎么做饭。

Māma jiāo wǒ zěnme zuò fàn.

Mom teaches me how to cook.
11
他在学校教数学。

Tā zài xuéxiào jiāo shùxué.

He teaches mathematics at school.
12
李老师教我们画画。

Lǐ lǎoshī jiāo wǒmen huà huà.

Teacher Li teaches us to draw.
vsurname Jiao16
13
我深信他已从错误中吸取了教训。

wǒ shēnxìn tā yǐ cóng cuòwù zhōng xīqǔ le jiàoxùn。

I am convinced that he has learned from his mistakes.
14
我们被教导要以特定的方式理解这些词语。

wǒmen bèi jiāo dǎo yào yǐ tèdìng de fāngshì lǐjiě zhèxiē cíyǔ。

We are taught to construe these terms in a particular way.
15
许多学生并未做好接受高等教育的充分准备。

xǔduō xuéshēng bìng wèi zuò hǎo jiēshòu gāoděng jiàoyù de chōngfèn zhǔnbèi。

Many students are not adequately prepared for higher education.
16
他们强烈感受到他们的宗教信仰与政治体制不相称。

tāmen qiángliè gǎnshòu dào tāmen de zōngjiào xìnyǎng yǔ zhèngzhì tǐzhì bù Xiāng chèn。

They feel strongly that their religion is incompatible with the political system.
17
你可能从小就被教育那样考虑问题。

nǐ kěnéng cóngxiǎo jiù bèi jiàoyù nàyàng kǎolǜ wèntí。

You were probably brought up to think like that.
18
只有深入其中,你才能真正欣赏教堂的富丽堂皇。

zhǐyǒu shēnrù qízhōng, nǐ cáinéng zhēnzhèng xīnshǎng jiàotáng de fù lí táng huáng。

Only inside do you appreciate the church's true grandeur.
19
你是在干涉人们的宗教信仰,他们并不喜欢你的做法。

nǐ shì zài gānshè rénmen de zōngjiào xìnyǎng, tāmen bìng bù xǐhuan nǐ de zuòfǎ。

You are messing with people's religion and they don't like that.
20
你应该充分利用我们的教学课程。

nǐ yīnggāi chōngfèn lìyòng wǒmen de jiàoxué kèchéng。

You may wish to take advantage of our instructional session.
21
科普特教会是最古老的基督教会之一。

kēpǔ tè jiāo huì shì zuì gǔlǎo de jīdūjiào huì zhīyī。

The Coptic Church is among the oldest churches of Christianity.
22
纪律的目的是教育儿童举止得体。

jìlǜ de mùdì shì jiàoyù értóng jǔzhǐ détǐ。

The aim of discipline is to teach children to behave acceptably.
23
我朋友的姓是教,他来自山东。

Wǒ péngyǒu de xìng shì Jiāo, tā láizì Shāndōng.

My friend's surname is Jiao, and he is from Shandong.
24
教先生是一位著名的医生。

Jiāo xiānshēng shì yī wèi zhùmíng de yīshēng.

Mr. Jiao is a famous doctor.
25
我朋友的姓是教,他来自山东。

Wǒ péngyǒu de xìng shì Jiāo, tā láizì Shāndōng.

My friend's surname is Jiao, and he is from Shandong.
26
教先生是一位著名的医生。

Jiāo xiānshēng shì yī wèi zhùmíng de yīshēng.

Mr. Jiao is a famous doctor.
27
我朋友的姓是教,他来自山东。

Wǒ péngyǒu de xìng shì Jiāo, tā láizì Shāndōng.

My friend's surname is Jiao, and he is from Shandong.
28
教先生是一位著名的医生。

Jiāo xiānshēng shì yī wèi zhùmíng de yīshēng.

Mr. Jiao is a famous doctor.
Exercise 1 of 1

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Rebuild it: “The teacher teaches us Chinese every day.”

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Word Family of 教

Compounds2
漖jiào
嘋xiào
Words containing this character20
教育jiàoyùto educate
教jiāoreligion
教授jiàoshòuprofessor
教练jiàoliàninstructor教練
教师jiàoshīteacher教師
教堂jiàotángchurch
教学jiàoxuéto teach教學
教训jiàoxùnlesson教訓
宗教zōngjiàoreligion
教会jiāohuìto show教會
教室jiàoshìclassroom
教导jiàodǎoto instruct教導
教材jiàocáiteaching material
主教zhǔjiàobishop
教育部jiàoyùbùMinistry of Education
基督教jīdūjiàoChristianity
天主教tiānzhǔjiàoCatholicism
教徒jiàotúdisciple
教书jiāoshūto teach (in a school)教書
教皇jiàohuángRoman Catholic pope
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 教

What does 教育 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 教

Some common phrases include 教师 (jiàoshī, teacher) and 教室 (jiàoshì, classroom).

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