翘

翹

qiáo, qiào

尧 + 羽

HSK 2.0Level 6

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

qiáo (adjective) outstanding; excellent

qiào (verb) to stick up; to tilt upward

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 羽 represents the meaning and 尧 represents the sound. Simplified form of 翹.

Semantic: 羽 Phonetic: 尧

About

翘, the simplified form of the traditional 翹, is a phonosemantic compound originally describing a bird's physical feature. The semantic component 羽 (feathers) links it to birds or plumage, while the phonetic 堯 (尧 in simplified) means "high" or "tall", suggesting an upward trajectory. The simplified character replaces the complex 堯 with 尧, reducing the stroke count while preserving the sound. Literally, it refers to the long tail feathers of a bird sticking or bending upward; this image then extended to any object tilting up at one end, and metaphorically describes someone outstanding or distinguished in a particular field.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他翘起了大拇指。

Tā qiào qǐ le dà mǔ zhǐ.

He raised his thumb.

小猫翘起了尾巴。

Xiǎo māo qiào qǐ le wěi ba.

The kitten raised its tail.

我们翘首等待春天。

Wǒmen qiáo shǒu děng dài chūn tiān.

We look forward to spring with anticipation.

他昨天翘课去玩了。

Tā zuó tiān qiào kè qù wán le.

He skipped class to play yesterday.

木板的一端翘起来了。

Mù bǎn de yī duān qiào qǐ lái le.

One end of the wooden board is warped up.

她是班级里的翘楚。

Tā shì bān jí lǐ de qiáo chǔ.

She is the outstanding one in the class.

观众们翘首以盼新电影上映。

Guān zhòng men qiáo shǒu yǐ pàn xīn diàn yǐng shàng yìng.

The audience eagerly looks forward to the release of the new movie.

经济指标翘尾因素值得关注。

Jīng jì zhǐ biāo qiào wěi yīn sù zhí dé guān zhù.

The carry-over effect in economic indicators deserves attention.

Related Characters

Component: 尧

Component: 羽

翘