How to Write 侨 (qiáo) — Meaning “Overseas Chinese / To reside abroad”

Imagine a person (亻) who is very tall (乔 means tall) because they have seen many countries from living overseas. The tall person stands on a hill looking across the ocean, which reminds you that 侨 means "overseas Chinese" or "to reside abroad."

Write the left radical 亻 first with a left-falling stroke followed by a vertical stroke. Then draw the right side 乔: start with a left-falling stroke, then a horizontal, another left-falling, a vertical, a horizontal hook turning right, and finally a left-falling stroke inside the hook; many learners mistakenly use a 夭 shape without the hook.

侨 (qiáo) has the right component 乔, which looks like a tall figure with a horizontal hook, while 仰 (yǎng) has 卬 on the right, which resembles a kneeling person, and 仲 (zhòng) has 中, a box with a vertical line. In meaning, 侨 specifically refers to overseas Chinese, 仰 means to look up or admire, and 仲 means middle or second.

侨 appears in words like 华侨 (huá qiáo, overseas Chinese) and 侨胞 (qiáo bāo, overseas compatriots), which are used in news, government documents, and community greetings. Culturally, 侨 carries a respectful tone, emphasizing the connection between Chinese people living abroad and their homeland, and it is not part of the HSK vocabulary but is common in formal contexts.

Common words containing 侨 include: 华侨 (huá qiáo) — overseas Chinese; 侨居 (qiáo jū) — To reside abroad / To live in a foreign country; 侨胞 (qiáo bāo) — Overseas compatriots.