Definitions

xiào (noun) school
jiào (verb) to check; to proofread; to compare

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "校" is composed of the semantic component 木, meaning wood, and the phonetic component 交, which also contributes to its meaning. Its earliest meanings were connected to wooden structures, specifically referring to a type of fence or a wooden prisoner's collar, ideas derived from the notion of crossed or intersecting wooden pieces. From this concrete origin, its meaning extended to more abstract applications of constraint and correction, giving rise to the verb senses of "to check", "to compare", and "to collate". This association with correction and ordered comparison logically led to its use in military ranks like "colonel" (大校), implying a structured hierarchy. The most common modern meaning, "school", developed from this same conceptual root; a school was understood as a place of instruction where knowledge is imparted and conduct is corrected, aligning with the character's foundational sense of imposing order and making proper comparisons. The traditional form of the character is identical to the simplified one.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我在学学习。

Wǒ zài xuéxiào xuéxí.

I study at school.

我们的园很漂亮。

Wǒmen de xiàoyuán hěn piàoliang.

Our campus is very beautiful.

长在礼堂讲话。

Xiàozhǎng zài lǐtáng jiǎnghuà.

The principal is speaking in the auditorium.

请你仔细对这份文件。

Qǐng nǐ zǐxì jiàoduì zhè fèn wénjiàn.

Please proofread this document carefully.

下个月是学庆。

Xià gè yuè shì xuéxiào de xiàoqìng.

Next month is the school's anniversary celebration.

友会组织了一次活动。

Xiàoyǒuhuì zǔzhī le yīcì huódòng.

The alumni association organized an event.

学生们必须遵守规。

Xuéshengmen bìxū zūnshǒu xiàoguī.

Students must obey the school rules.

这两所大学开展了际交流。

Zhè liǎng suǒ dàxué kāizhǎn le xiàojì jiāoliú.

These two universities have started an intercollegiate exchange.