教

jiāo
HSK 3
#191 most
frequent character
to teach
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

教 has 𡥉 'to learn' as both picture and sound part, showing a child taught numbers. 攵, a hand holding a staff, was added to show learning under threat of a beating. Together they give the first meaning 'to teach'. From that came 'teachings', 'philosophy', and 'religion'.

Drawn as: child taught numbers; hand holding staff

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Example Sentences

我在学校教数学。
wǒzài xuéxiào jiào shùxué 。
I teach mathematics at school.
他教我游泳。
tā jiào wǒ yóuyǒng 。
He teaches me how to swim.
老师每天教我们新知识。
lǎoshī měitiān jiào wǒmen xīn zhīshí 。
The teacher teaches us new knowledge every day.

Words with similar meanings

授shòu
to bestow
More formal, often used in academic or ceremonial contexts.
讲jiǎng
to explain
Emphasizes the explanation aspect of teaching, more colloquial.

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