How to Write 骄 (jiāo) — Meaning “proud; arrogant; spirited horse”

Imagine a proud horse (马) that stands extra tall, as if it has a tall back (like the right side 乔, which can remind you of "tall"). You can also think of the right component as a person standing up high with arms raised, showing arrogance. This visual helps link the shape to the meaning of pride.

Write the left radical 马 first, making it narrow and compact with three strokes. The right part 乔 has six strokes: start with a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal, then a left-falling stroke, then a vertical, then a horizontal hook, and finally another vertical. Common mistakes include making the left side too wide or forgetting the final vertical stroke in 乔, which makes the character unbalanced.

The character 骄 (jiāo) has the right side 乔, which looks like a tall structure with two vertical lines. In contrast, 驱 (qū) has the right side 区, a box with an X inside, and means to drive or expel. The character 驳 (bó) has the right side 爻, which looks like two stacked X marks, and means to argue or contradict. Remember: pride is tall (乔), driving involves an area (区), and arguing uses crossed lines (爻).

The character 骄 appears in common words like 骄傲 (jiāo ào, proud or arrogant) and 骄阳 (jiāo yáng, blazing sun). It often carries a negative tone when describing a person's arrogance, but can also express positive pride, such as pride in one's country or achievements. Culturally, a 'spirited horse' was traditionally admired in China, but the character's modern usage mostly warns against excessive pride.

Common words containing 骄 include: 骄傲 (jiāo ào) — proud; arrogant; pride; 骄阳 (jiāo yáng) — blazing sun; scorching sun; 骄子 (jiāo zi) — favorite child; the pride of a group.