胶 (jiāo) — glue, gum, adhesive; rubber; resin, sap
Definition
A single written character covering three related sticky substances: adhesive glue (e.g. 胶水), natural or synthetic rubber (橡胶), and plant resin/sap. Pronounce jiāo, not jiā.
noun
gluegumadhesiverubberresinsap
Examples
- 胶。Zhè zhǒng jiāo de nián xìng hěn qiáng.This type of glue has strong stickiness.
- 。Tā mǎi le yì shuāng jiāo xié.He bought a pair of rubber shoes.
- 胶Shù shàng liú chū le shù jiāoSap flowed out of the tree.
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 膠; 胶 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
翏
翏liù膠jiāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 膠 pairs ⺼ (meat; flesh) with 翏, which gives the sound.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.