Definitions

jiāo a tumble; a fall

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

跤 (jiāo) is a phono-semantic compound, with the left-side foot radical 足 (zú) indicating an action involving the lower limbs, and the right-side element 交 (jiāo) providing the pronunciation. Its core meaning is the act of tripping or falling due to loss of balance. This character is also intrinsically linked to the traditional sport of wrestling, where the objective is to throw an opponent to the ground. This dual sense is preserved in the common word 摔跤, which can mean both to take a fall and to wrestle.

Etymology Hide

Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我摔了一

Wǒ shuāi le yī jiāo.

I had a fall.

小心别摔

Xiǎoxīn bié shuāijiāo.

Be careful not to fall.

弟弟在操场摔了。

Dìdi zài cāochǎng shuāijiāo le.

My younger brother fell on the playground.

她跑步时摔了一

Tā pǎobù shí shuāi le yī jiāo.

She had a fall while running.

运动很有趣。

Shuāijiāo yùndòng hěn yǒuqù.

Wrestling sport is very interesting.

他在比赛中摔了一

Tā zài bǐsài zhōng shuāi le yī jiāo.

He had a fall during the competition.

避免摔要注意地面。

Bìmiǎn shuāijiāo yào zhùyì dìmiàn.

To avoid falling, pay attention to the ground.

后他立即站了起来。

Shuāijiāo hòu tā lìjí zhàn le qǐlái.

After falling, he immediately stood up.