How to Write 窕 (tiǎo) — Meaning “Quiet and secluded or elegant.”

Imagine a cave (穴) with an "omen" (兆) inside that predicts a graceful woman will appear — this will help you recall 窕 meaning 'elegant.' The image of a hidden omen in a cave also suggests something quiet and secluded. Think of the word 窈窕 (yǎo tiǎo) to link the character to graceful beauty.

The top part (穴) must be wide enough to cover the 兆 below, but the 兆 should not be too large or it will look unbalanced. Pay special attention to the stroke order: first write the cave radical (dot, dot, hook, left vertical, right vertical), then 兆 (a left-falling stroke, then the right side). A common mistake is writing the 兆 with an extra stroke or mixing up the order of its components.

穿 (chuān) means to wear or pass through, and it uses the radical 穴 with 牙 (tooth) underneath — visually, the bottom part has a tooth shape instead of 兆. 窀 (zhūn) means burial, and has the same radical 穴 but with 屯 (to store) below — it looks like a cave with a stacked shape. Unlike 窕, both 穿 and 窀 have concrete physical meanings, while 窕 describes abstract qualities like elegance or seclusion.

The character 窕 is rarely used alone; it almost always appears in the compound 窈窕 (yǎo tiǎo), meaning 'graceful and slender,' typically describing a woman's figure. The word 轻窕 (qīng tiǎo) means 'frivolous' and is less common. In classical poetry, 窕 could also describe a deep, secluded place, but in modern speech you will only encounter it in these set phrases, especially 窈窕.

Common words containing 窕 include: 窈窕 (yǎo tiǎo) — Fair and graceful (usually describing a woman).; 窕窕 (tiǎo tiǎo) — Deep and secluded.; 轻窕 (qīng tiǎo) — Frivolous; light and airy.