骄

驕

jiāo

乔 + 马

Definitions

jiāo (adjective) proud; arrogant

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 乔 represents the sound. Simplified from 驕.

About

The character 骄 is the simplified version of the traditional 驕, which is a phono-semantic compound. In its construction, the left-side radical 馬 (horse) provides the semantic clue, and the right-side component 喬 gives the sound. The simplified form reduces these to 马 and 乔 respectively. Originally, the character described a strong, unruly, or spirited horse that was hard to control. This image of a defiant horse was later applied to human behavior, denoting arrogance and conceit, but it also acquired a positive nuance of justifiable pride in one's achievements.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他为成绩感到骄傲。

Tā wéi chéngjì gǎndào jiāo'ào.

He is proud of his achievements.

骄阳似火，天气很热。

Jiāoyáng sì huǒ, tiānqì hěn rè.

The sun is scorching like fire, and the weather is very hot.

她取得了骄人的成绩。

Tā qǔdé le jiāorén de chéngjì.

She has achieved impressive results.

父母不能骄纵孩子。

Fùmǔ bù néng jiāozòng háizi.

Parents should not spoil their children.

骄傲的人往往没有朋友。

Jiāo'ào de rén wǎngwǎng méiyǒu péngyou.

Arrogant people often have no friends.

如果太骄傲，你就会失败。

Rúguǒ tài jiāo'ào, nǐ jiù huì shībài.

If you are too proud, you will fail.

他身上有一股骄气，让人不喜欢。

Tā shēnshàng yǒu yī gǔ jiāoqì, ràng rén bù xǐhuan.

He has an arrogant air that makes people dislike him.

历史上的统治者常因骄奢而失去民心。

Lìshǐ shàng de tǒngzhì zhě cháng yīn jiāoshē ér shīqù mínxīn.

Rulers in history often lost popular support due to extravagance and arrogance.

Related Characters

Component: 乔

Component: 马

骄