How to Write 剿 (jiǎo) — Meaning “suppress or wipe out”

Imagine a bird's nest (巢) that needs to be wiped out, so you take a knife (刂) and cut it down. This visual of slashing a nest helps link the components to the meaning "suppress" or "exterminate".

Write the left part 巢 first (stroke order: top three strokes for the nest top, then 曰, then 木), and finally add the knife radical 刂 on the right. A common mistake is making the right knife radical too large or misplacing it; it should be small and aligned with the middle of the left part.

All three characters contain the knife radical 刂 on the right, but their left parts differ: 剿 uses 巢 (nest), 剩 uses 乘 (ride/multiply), and 副 uses 畐 (full). Meaning-wise, 剿 is about wiping out, 剩 means "remaining" or "leftover", and 副 means "vice-" or "auxiliary".

剿 is most often found in formal or historical contexts, such as military operations to 剿灭 (wipe out) enemies or 围剿 (encircle and suppress) rebels. It also appears in the term 剿匪 (suppress bandits), which is common in Chinese historical dramas and military reports. The character carries a strong, sometimes violent connotation and is not used in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 剿 include: 剿灭 (jiǎo miè) — exterminate or wipe out; 围剿 (wéi jiǎo) — To encircle and suppress; 剿匪 (jiǎo fěi) — suppress bandits.