姣好 (jiāo hǎo) — (literary, of a face) beautiful, fair, delicate

Definition

Literary adjective meaning '(of a face) beautiful and delicate' — used almost exclusively for women's features in writing. 比 漂亮 更书面、更古典, you will mainly meet it in novels and formal prose.

adjective
(literary, of a face) beautifulfairdelicate
Easily confused

Examples

  • 姣好，。
    Tā miàn róng jiāo hǎo, qì zhì yōu yǎ.
    Her face is beautiful and her demeanor is elegant.
  • 姣好，。
    Huà zhōng nǚ zǐ róng mào jiāo hǎo, lìng rén nán wàng.
    The woman in the painting has a fair face that is unforgettable.
  • ，姣好。
    Tā suī yǐ zhōng nián, dàn yī rán jiāo hǎo dòng rén.
    Although she is middle-aged, she is still beautifully moving.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

姣jiāobeautiful
好hǎogood

姣 and 好 both describe beauty, giving a sense of fair and delicate.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo姣jiāo
Same sound today

姣 pairs 女 (woman) with 交, which gives the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →

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