How to Write 蛟 (jiāo) — Meaning “Flood dragon (mythical creature)”

Imagine a dragon (虫) wearing a pair of crossed swords (交) on its back, representing its fierce and mythical nature. The crossed shape of 交 can remind you of the dragon's ability to "cross" between water and land. This mental image links the creature radical with the sound and form of 交.

Write the left radical 虫 first (three strokes: vertical, horizontal, then left-falling), making sure it is narrow and takes up about one-third of the character. The right part 交 is written next, starting with the top dot, then the horizontal stroke, followed by the eight-like bottom (撇 and捺). A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or the right part too crowded—keep them balanced.

The key difference is the right component: 蛟 has 交 (jiāo) meaning "cross," while 蚊 has 文 (wén) meaning "text" and refers to a mosquito, and 蚋 has 内 (nèi) meaning "inside" and refers to a gnat. Visually, 蛟 (flood dragon) has a more complex right side with a crossing figure, whereas 蚊 and 蚋 have simpler right halves. Remember that 蛟 always relates to a mythical water dragon, not a real insect.

蛟 is most commonly seen in the literary word 蛟龙 (jiāo lóng), meaning "flood dragon," a mythical creature that controls storms and floods in Chinese folklore. It also appears in the name of China's deep-sea submersible "蛟龙号" (Jiāolóng hào), symbolizing exploration of the deep ocean. While not an everyday word, it adds a poetic or legendary flavor when used in stories or scientific names.

Common words containing 蛟 include: 蛟龙 (jiāo lóng) — Flood dragon; 蛟龙号 (jiāo lóng hào) — Jiaolong (a famous Chinese deep-sea submersible); 蛟水 (jiāo shuǐ) — Flood dragon water.