How to Write 峭 (qiào) — Meaning “steep; precipitous”

Imagine a sharp, tall mountain peak that looks like the letter "q" (for qiào) when viewed from the side. The radical 山 reminds you it's a mountain, and the right part 肖 can be linked to "shout"—you might shout when standing on a steep cliff.

Write the mountain radical 山 first, making it narrow and tall. Then write 肖: start with the small ⺌ (three dots) on top, then the moon-like 月 below. A common mistake is making the 山 too wide—keep it slim so the character stays balanced.

峭 (qiào) specifically means steep and is used in words like 峭壁 (cliff). 岢 (kě) is rare and appears only in the place name 岢岚 (a county in China). 岣 (gǒu) refers to a mountain in Hunan (岣嵝山) and has no general usage. Unlike these place-name characters, 峭 is a common descriptive word.

峭 appears in formal written descriptions of steep geography, such as 悬崖峭壁 (overhanging cliffs). It is also used metaphorically in phrases like 冷峭 to describe a cold, harsh wind. You won't find it in daily conversation, but it is common in travel writing and nature literature.

Common words containing 峭 include: 陡峭 (dǒu qiào) — precipitous; 峭壁 (qiào bì) — cliff; precipice; 峻峭 (jùn qiào) — high and steep.