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How to Write 教 (jiāo/jiào) — Meaning “to teach; to instruct”

jiāo/jiào HSK Level 1 11 strokes Radical: 攵

教 (jiāo/jiào) means "to teach; to instruct" in Chinese. It has 11 strokes with the radical 攵, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 88% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 教育 (jiào yù), 教师 (jiào shī), 教书 (jiāo shū).

Due to its 11 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 教 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 教 - jiāo/jiào

Practice Writing 教 (jiāo/jiào)

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How to Write 教

The character 教 (jiāo/jiào) is written with 11 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 攵 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does jiāo/jiào (教) Mean in Chinese?

教 means to teach; to instruct.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: jiāo, jiào.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 教 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character教
Pinyinjiāo / jiào (jiao)
Meaningto teach; to instruct
Strokes11
Radical攵
HSK Level1
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 教

The character 教 combines 孝 (xiào, 'filial piety,' originally depicting a child learning from an elder) with 攵 (a hand holding a stick, symbolizing corrective action). Together, they form the image of a teacher using guidance or discipline to instruct a child in proper behavior.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture an old scholar (left 耂) sternly teaching a child (子) while tapping a stick (攵) on the desk—that's 教, 'to teach.'

Common Words with 教

教育 jiào yù
education
教师 jiào shī
teacher
教书 jiāo shū
To teach; to work as a teacher.
教给 jiāo gěi
To teach (someone something); to impart.

Example Sentences

良好的家庭教育对孩子成长至关重要。

liáng hǎo de jiā tíng jiào yù duì hái zi chéng zhǎng zhì guān zhòng yào

Good family education is crucial for a child's growth.

他的梦想是成为一名受人尊敬的教师。

tā de mèng xiǎng shì chéng wéi yī míng shòu rén zūn jìng de jiào shī

His dream is to become a respected teacher.

退休后，他依然回到山村教书育人。

tuì xiū hòu tā yī rán huí dào shān cūn jiāo shū yù rén

After retirement, he still returned to the mountain village to teach and educate.

老师把解题的技巧教给了每一位学生。

lǎo shī bǎ jiě tí de jì qiǎo jiāo gěi le měi yī wèi xué shēng

The teacher taught the problem-solving techniques to every student.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
教 (current) jiāo / jiào 11 攵
政 zhèng 9 攵
敃 mǐn 9 攵
敄 wù 9 攵
Stroke order practice for 教 - jiāo/jiào

Practice Writing 教 (jiāo/jiào)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 教 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 教

The character 教 combines 孝 (xiào, filial piety) on the left and 攵 (pū, a hand holding a stick) on the right. The left part suggests the learner’s respect, while 攵 indicates the action of teaching or guiding. Together, they show that teaching involves both moral instruction and active guidance.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

爱ài好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn

Characters with Radical 攵

收shōu攸yōu改gǎi攻gōng放fàng政zhèng敃mǐn敄wù故gù效xiào

Other 11-Stroke Characters

㒼mán䙴qiān乿zhì偃yǎn假jiǎ/jià偈jì偎wēi偏piān偕xié做zuò