矫 (jiǎ) — surname Jiao

Definition

矫 is listed as a surname (姓 jiǎ), but its dictionary sense is as a bound form meaning 'to correct, straighten, or feign' (e.g., 矫正, 矫情) — a literacy item at HSK 7, not a usable everyday word.

bound form
surname Jiao

Examples

  • 矫,?
    Tā xìng jiǎ, shì shǎo shù mín zú ma?
    His surname is Jiao — is he from an ethnic minority?
  • 矫。
    jiǎ Xiān sheng shì zhè jiā gōng sī de chuàng shǐ rén zhī yī.
    Mr. Jiao is one of the founders of this company.
  • 矫。
    Lì shǐ shàng jiào jiǎ de rén bù duō.
    There aren't many people named Jiao in history.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 矯; 矫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
矢矢shǐarrow
Sound part声符shēngfú
喬
喬qiáo矯jiǎo
Same sound today

The traditional 矯 pairs 矢 (arrow) with 喬 as a sound part; 矢 shows straightening like an arrow shaft. The simplified 矫 is a later abbreviation.

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