翘 (qiào) — to stick up, to tilt upward, to curl up (of an edge, corner, or end)
Definition
翘 (qiào) describes an edge, corner, or end that lifts up or curls upward (a tilted table leg, hair sticking up, a pouting lip). More vivid and concrete than the general 倾斜 ('to tilt/lean'), and not about slanting surfaces the way 斜 is.
verb
to stick upto tilt upwardto curl up (of an edge, corner, or end)
Easily confused
Examples
- 翘。Tā de tóu fa qiào qǐ lái le.His hair is sticking up.
- 翘，。Zhuō zi de yì tiáo tuǐ qiào le, yǒu diǎn bù wěn.One leg of the table is tilted, making it a bit unsteady.
- 翘，。Tā qiào zhe zuǐ ba, kàn qǐ lái bú tài gāo xìng.She's pouting, looking unhappy.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 翹; 翘 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
堯
堯yáo翹qiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 翹 pairs 羽 (feather) with 堯, which gives the sound; this note is about 翹, not the simplified 翘.
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