Definitions

biāo (noun) tiger stripes; tiger cub
biāo (noun,classifier) classifier for troops (archaic)

Etymology

A tiger's  stripes 

About

The character 彪 is an ideogrammic compound formed by the radical 虎 (tiger) and the component 彡, which depicts hair or distinctive stripes. Originally, it described a small tiger or the vivid stripes on its coat. Over time, its meaning broadened from this literal feline pattern to general tiger-like qualities, coming to describe a person who is burly or exceptionally strong. The structure visually reflects the animal's appearance, with 彡 emphasizing the textured fur alongside the primary feline indicator.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

那个新同学名叫小

Nàge xīn tóngxué míng jiào Xiǎo Biāo.

That new classmate is named Xiao Biao.

哥是我们班的班长。

Biāo Gē shì wǒmen bān de bānzhǎng.

Brother Biao is the monitor of our class.

他长得高大悍。

Tā zhǎng de gāodà biāohàn.

He is tall and sturdy.

电影里的反派非常悍。

Diànyǐng lǐ de fǎnpài fēichāng biāohàn.

The villain in the movie is very fierce and tough.

他的行事风格有点

Tā de xíngshì fēnggé yǒudiǎn biāo.

His way of doing things is a bit reckless.

形大汉守在门口。

Biāoxíngdàhàn shǒu zài ménkǒu.

A burly, formidable man guarded the door.

这群人的战斗力很

Zhè qún rén de zhàndòulì hěn biāo.

This group of people has formidable combat strength.

他的功绩足以炳史册。

Tā de gōngjì zúyǐ biāobǐng shǐcè.

His achievements are glorious enough to be recorded in the annals of history.