Definitions
(noun)
ancient Chinese state (476-220 BC)
(verb)
to surpass
Etymology
About
The character Zhao, traditionally written as 趙, derives from a semantic-phonetic structure where the radical 走, meaning to walk or run, combines with the phonetic component 肖 to convey its ancient sense of hastening or moving quickly. Its original verbal meaning gradually diminished as the character was adopted as a surname, a process that accelerated during early Chinese history when it became linked to influential lineages and regional states. The traditional form's composition was later simplified to 赵, which preserves the walking radical but replaces the phonetic element with 乂, a change that reflects phonological shifts while reducing stroke count. This transformation in writing accompanied a semantic narrowing, whereby the character shed its lexical function as a verb to serve almost exclusively as a family name, a role it has maintained into the modern era.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
赵先生来了。
赵明是我的好朋友。
赵家住在北京。
赵老师教我们数学。
赵女士在图书馆工作。
赵经理负责这个项目。
赵叔叔经常帮助我们学习。
赵爷爷的故事很有趣。