Definitions

qiào (adjective) high and steep; precipitous
qiào (adjective) stern; severe

Etymology

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

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 峭, meaning steep or precipitous, is structured as a phono-semantic compound with the mountain radical 山 conveying its semantic field related to terrain and the component 肖 primarily serving as a phonetic indicator. Etymologically, it emerged to describe physical features such as cliffs or sharp mountain slopes, and its meaning has consistently centered on the idea of abrupt verticality. Over time, while retaining this primary sense, the character has also been extended into metaphorical domains, such as characterizing sternness or severity in human temperament, as seen in compounds like 峭直. The form of the character has maintained its composition without alteration, reflecting a stable linguistic representation of steepness across its usage history.

Example Sentences Hide

这座山非常陡

Zhè zuò shān fēicháng dǒuqiào.

This mountain is very steep.

壁上长满了绿植。

Qiàobì shàng zhǎng mǎn le lǜ zhí.

The cliff is covered with green plants.

他站在壁边缘。

Tā zhàn zài qiàobì biānyuán.

He stands at the edge of the cliff.

的山峰令人惊叹。

Jùnqiào de shānfēng lìng rén jīngtàn.

The steep peaks are amazing.

道路在壁间蜿蜒。

Dàolù zài qiàobì jiān wānyán.

The road winds between cliffs.

这座立的山峰很难攀登。

Zhè zuò qiàolì de shānfēng hěn nán pāndēng.

This steeply standing peak is hard to climb.

的悬崖下是深邃的峡谷。

Dǒuqiào de xuányá xià shì shēnsuì de xiágǔ.

Under the steep cliff is a deep canyon.

面对那面几乎垂直的壁,登山者们小心翼翼地前进。

Miàn duì nà miàn jīhū chuízhí de qiàobì, dēngshān zhě men xiǎoxīn yìyì de qiánjìn.

Facing that almost vertical cliff, the climbers advanced cautiously.