Definitions

jiǎo by mere luck
yáo used in 僬僥|僬侥[jiāo yáo]

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 侥, originating from its traditional form 僥, is etymologically composed of the human radical 人 coupled with the phonetic component 堯, which historically guided its pronunciation. This character has predominantly appeared within the compound 僥倖, where it conveys the concept of attaining something by chance or through unlikely fortune, a meaning that has persisted without substantial alteration over centuries. Structurally, the simplification process retained the human radical while streamlining the phonetic element from 堯 to 尧, yet this graphical adjustment did not shift the character's enduring semantic association with luck and serendipity.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

幸通过了考试。

Tā jiǎoxìng tōngguòle kǎoshì.

He passed the exam by luck.

这次胜利纯属幸。

Zhè cì shènglì chún shǔ jiǎoxìng.

This victory was purely due to luck.

不要抱有幸心理。

Bùyào bào yǒu jiǎoxìng xīnlǐ.

Don't harbor a mindset of relying on luck.

幸逃脱了惩罚。

Tā jiǎoxìng táotuōle chéngfá.

He escaped punishment by a fluke.

如果幸成功,也不要骄傲。

Rúguǒ jiǎoxìng chénggōng, yě bùyào jiāo'ào.

If you succeed by chance, do not become arrogant.

尽管幸避免了事故,但下次要小心。

Jǐnguǎn jiǎoxìng bìmiǎnle shìgù, dàn xià cì yào xiǎoxīn.

Even though the accident was avoided by luck, you must be careful next time.

在竞争中,幸取胜是不可靠的。

Zài jìngzhēng zhōng, jiǎoxìng qǔshèng shì bù kěkào de.

In competition, winning by luck is unreliable.

我们必须依靠实力,而非幸,才能长期成功。

Wǒmen bìxū yīkào shílì, ér fēi jiǎoxìng, cáinéng chángqī chénggōng.

We must rely on strength, not luck, to achieve long-term success.