角

jué, jiǎo

HSK 2.0Level 3

HSK 3.0Level 3

Definitions

jiǎo (noun) corner; angle

jiǎo (noun) horn

jiǎo (noun) 0.1 yuan; dime

jué (noun) role (in theater)

jué (verb) compete

Etymology

Pictograph of a horn.

About

角 (jiǎo, jué) is a pictograph of an animal horn, its interior strokes depicting veins and ridges. It primarily denotes the horns of cattle, sheep, and other beasts. From the pointed, converging shape, the meaning extended to angles, corners, and sharp protrusions in geometry and physical space. Because ancient drinking vessels and musical instruments were often crafted from hollowed-out horns, 角 also refers to such objects. The reading jué relates to theatrical roles, acting parts, and physical competition.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Warring States (~400 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

小猫躲在角落里。

Xiǎo māo duǒ zài jiǎoluò li.

The kitten is hiding in the corner.

从不同角度看问题。

Cóng bùtóng jiǎodù kàn wèntí.

Look at the problem from different angles.

他在电影中扮演重要角色。

Tā zài diànyǐng zhōng bànyǎn zhòngyào juésè.

He plays an important role in the movie.

这个图形是一个三角形。

Zhège túxíng shì yīgè sānjiǎoxíng.

This shape is a triangle.

书桌的角落是直角。

Shūzhuō de jiǎoluò shì zhíjiǎo.

The corner of the desk is a right angle.

裁判判罚了一个角球。

Cáipàn pànfá le yīgè jiǎoqiú.

The referee awarded a corner kick.

两国在政治上持续角力。

Liǎng guó zài zhèngzhì shàng chíxù juélì.

The two countries continue to wrestle politically.

古城堡的角楼保存完好。

Gǔ chéngbǎo de jiǎolóu bǎocún wánhǎo.

The turret of the ancient castle is well preserved.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 角

Example Words