How to Write 轿 (jiào) — Meaning “Sedan chair”

Picture a sedan chair (轿子) with two long poles; the left side 车 looks like a wheeled carriage, and the right side 乔 resembles a tall person holding a hat. This image helps connect the character to a carried vehicle for important people.

Write the left radical 车 first: horizontal, left-falling, horizontal, vertical. Then the right side 乔: left-falling, left-falling, horizontal, left-falling, vertical hook, left-falling, left-falling, horizontal. Keep the left 车 narrow and the right 乔 balanced; a common error is making 车 too wide or forgetting the vertical hook in 乔.

轿 (jiào) has 乔 (tall) on the right and means sedan chair or car. 斩 (zhǎn) has 斤 (axe) on the right and means to chop or behead. 軎 (wèi) has a different right component (like 㐄) and refers to an ancient axle part, rarely used now. Visually, 轿's right side has more strokes and a vertical hook, while 斩 ends with a straight vertical stroke.

Today 轿 appears in 轿车 (jiào chē, car or sedan), which is very common, and 轿子 (jiào zi, sedan chair) for historical references. 花轿 (huā jiāo, bridal sedan chair) is still used in traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies, symbolizing honor and celebration.

Common words containing 轿 include: 轿车 (jiào chē) — Car; sedan; 轿子 (jiào zi) — Sedan chair; 花轿 (huā jiào) — Bridal sedan chair.