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March 24, 2026
校jiào(jiao4)
The character 校 (jiào) primarily means 'school' in Mandarin, referring to an institution for education. It can also mean 'to proofread' or 'to check', indicating an action of verifying or correcting written material. In certain contexts, it can refer to military officers or fields, showcasing its versatility in usage.
Strokes10Radical木Frequency#3055DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 校 (school) is deeply valued, as education is seen as a path to success and societal respect. The traditional emphasis on education is reflected in the high importance placed on academic achievement.
Memory Tip
Imagine a school (校) where students are checking their homework. The character has a roof (亠) representing a building, and beneath it, you can think of students proofreading their work. The pronunciation 'jiào' sounds like 'jiao', as in 'jockeying for grades'.
Meanings of 校
jiào(jiao4)
primary
1to proofread
2school
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 校
校Simplified
10Strokes
木Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#3055Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2
Podcast: 校
Podcast: 校
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AI Study Notes for 校
Usage Notes
校 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, particularly in educational settings. A common mistake is confusing it with 学 (xué), which means 'to learn' or 'study'. Be mindful of the tone; mispronouncing it as 'xiao' changes the meaning entirely.
HSK Study Tips
校 is not included in HSK levels, but it connects with other educational-related terms such as 学校 (xuéxiào, school) and 学习 (xuéxí, to study). Students should focus on its various meanings and usage in different contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 校 with related terms like 学校 (xuéxiào) and may mistakenly use it in contexts where 'to study' is appropriate. For example, saying '我去校' (wǒ qù jiào) instead of '我去学校' (wǒ qù xuéxiào) for 'I am going to school' is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 校
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Phonosemantic compound. 木 represents the meaning and 交 represents the sound.
1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
2The sound half交 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaywood
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 校? 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 校?
Decomposition of 校
IDS Structure⿰木交
校Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
交jiao1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 校?
How to say to proofread in Chinese
“to proofread” in Chinese is校jiào
The character 校 (jiào) primarily means 'school' in Mandarin, referring to an institution for education. It can also mean 'to proofread' or 'to check', indicating an action of verifying or correcting written material. In certain contexts, it can refer to military officers or fields, showcasing its versatility in usage.
When to use 校
校 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, particularly in educational settings. A common mistake is confusing it with 学 (xué), which means 'to learn' or 'study'. Be mindful of the tone; mispronouncing it as 'xiao' changes the meaning entirely.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 校 with related terms like 学校 (xuéxiào) and may mistakenly use it in contexts where 'to study' is appropriate. For example, saying '我去校' (wǒ qù jiào) instead of '我去学校' (wǒ qù xuéxiào) for 'I am going to school' is incorrect.
Write 校
校
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Practice writing 校 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 校
校 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 6 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.
