巧

Translingual

Han character

巧 (Kangxi radical 48, 工+2, 5 strokes, cangjie input 一一女尸 (MMVS), four-corner 1112₇, composition ⿰工丂)

Derived characters

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 325, character 9
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8721
Dae Jaweon: page 628, character 1
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 412, character 1
Unihan data for U+5DE7

Chinese

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (丂) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
丂	*kʰluːʔ
攷	*kʰluːʔ
考	*kʰluːʔ
烤	*kʰluːʔ
拷	*kʰluːʔ
栲	*kʰluːʔ
洘	*kʰluːʔ
銬	*kʰluːs
巧	kʰruːʔ, kʰruːs
朽	*qʰluʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰruːʔ, *kʰruːs) : semantic 工 + phonetic 丂 (OC *kʰluːʔ)

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		巧

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): qiǎo (qiao³)

(Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄠˇ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): haau²

(Taishan, Wiktionary): kau²
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kháu / khiáu

(Meixian, Guangdong): kau²
Eastern Min (BUC): kiēu
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): khá / khiáu / kháu

(Teochew, Peng'im): ka² / kiao² / kiou²
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵chiau

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: qiǎo
  - Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄠˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ciǎo
  - Wade–Giles: chʻiao³
  - Yale: chyǎu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cheau
  - Palladius: цяо (cjao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: haau²
  - Yale: háau
  - Cantonese Pinyin: haau²
  - Guangdong Romanization: hao²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /haːu̯³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: kau²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰau⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kháu / khiáu
  - Hakka Romanization System: kau^ˋ / kiau^ˋ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: kau³ / kiau³
  - Sinological IPA: /kʰau̯³¹/, /kʰi̯au̯³¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: kau²
  - Sinological IPA: /kʰau¹¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: kiēu
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰieu³³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khá
  - Tâi-lô: khá
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qar
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /kʰa⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰa⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kʰa⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese, Singapore, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiáu
  - Tâi-lô: khiáu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qiao
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kʰiau⁵³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /kʰiau⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Singapore): /kʰiau⁴²/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰiau⁴¹/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kháu
  - Tâi-lô: kháu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qao
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kʰau⁵³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰau⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰau⁴¹/

Note:

khá - vernacular (“rare but exquisite; fake; cunning”);
khiáu - vernacular (“ingenious; cunning; skillful; pretty”);
kháu - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: ka² / kiao² / kiou²
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khá / khiáu / khióu
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰa⁵²/, /kʰiau⁵²/, /kʰiou⁵²/

Note:

ka2 - vernacular;
kiao2/kiou2 - literary (kiou5 - Chaozhou).

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵chiau
  - MiniDict: chiau^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²qiau
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕʰiɔ³⁴/

Middle Chinese: khaewX, khaewH

Rime
Character	巧	巧
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	肴 (90)	肴 (90)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	II	II
Fanqie	苦絞切	苦敎切
Baxter	khaewX	khaewH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰˠau^X/	/kʰˠau^H/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰᵚau^X/	/kʰᵚau^H/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰau^X/	/kʰau^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰaɨw^X/	/kʰaɨw^H/
Li Rong	/kʰau^X/	/kʰau^H/
Wang Li	/kʰau^X/	/kʰau^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kʰau^X/	/kʰau^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qiǎo	qiào
Expected Cantonese Reflex	haau²	haau³

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[kʰ]ˤruʔ/

(Zhengzhang): /*kʰruːʔ/, /*kʰruːs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	巧
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	qiǎo
Middle Chinese	‹ khæw^X ›
Old Chinese	/*[kʰ]ˁruʔ/
English	artful
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	巧	巧
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	7410	7411
Phonetic component	丂	丂
Rime group	幽	幽
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	巧	敲
Old Chinese	/*kʰruːʔ/	/*kʰruːs/

Definitions

巧

skill; technique
ingenious; skillful
hypocritical; fake; cunning
exquisite; elaborate
(Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) pretty; beautiful
opportune; coincidental
真是太巧了！ ― Zhēnshì tài qiǎo le! ― What a coincidence!
fortunately; by chance
(Hefei Mandarin) cheap
(～日) (telegraphy) the eighteenth day of a month
a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 便宜 (“cheap”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		便宜, 低廉, 低賤
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	便宜, 賤
	Taiwan	便宜
	Harbin	便宜, 賤
	Malaysia	便宜
	Singapore	便宜
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	便宜, 賤
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	便宜, 賤
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	便宜, 賤
	Wanrong	便宜, 賤
	Xi'an	便宜, 賤
	Xining	便宜
	Xuzhou	便宜, 賤
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	便宜
	Lanzhou	便宜
	Ürümqi	便宜
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	相因, 便宜
	Wuhan	便宜, 相因
	Guiyang	相因
	Liuzhou	便宜
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	便宜
	Yangzhou	便宜, 划廉
	Nantong	便宜
	Hefei	巧, 便宜
Cantonese	Guangzhou	平
	Hong Kong	平
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	平
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	平
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	平
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	平
	Macau	平
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	平
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	平
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	平
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	平
	Foshan	平
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	平
	Foshan (Shunde)	平
	Foshan (Sanshui)	平
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	便宜, 平
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	平
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	平
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	平
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	平
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	平
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	平
	Taishan	平
	Kaiping (Chikan)	平
	Enping (Niujiang)	平
	Heshan (Yayao)	平
	Dongguan	平
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	平
	Qingyuan	平
	Fogang	平
	Yingde (Hanguang)	平
	Yangshan	平, 便宜
	Lianshan (Butian)	平
	Lianzhou (Qingshui Sihui)	平宜
	Shaoguan	平
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	平
	Renhua	平, 抵得
	Lechang	平
	Zhaoqing (Gaoyao)	平
	Sihui	平
	Guangning	平枯
	Deqing	平
	Huaiji	平
	Fengkai (Nanfeng)	平
	Yunfu	平
	Xinxing	平
	Luoding	平
	Yunan (Pingtai)	平
	Yangjiang	平, 平宜
	Nanning	平
	Yulin	平
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	平
	Singapore (Guangfu)	平
Gan	Nanchang	便宜
	Lichuan	便宜
	Pingxiang	便宜
Hakka	Meixian	便宜, 平
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	便宜, 平
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	平
	Boluo (Bendihua)	平, 便宜
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	平
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	平
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	平
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	便宜
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	便宜, 平
	Wuhua (Changbu)	平
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	便宜
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	平, 便宜
	Longchuan (Tuocheng Bendihua)	平, 便宜
	Heping (Linzhai Bendihua)	便宜
	Lianping (Longjie Bendihua)	平, 便宜
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	便宜
	Jiexi	便宜
	Yudu	便宜
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	便宜
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	便宜
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	便宜
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	便宜
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	便宜
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	便宜
	Hong Kong	平
	Sabah (Longchuan)	便宜
	Senai (Huiyang)	便宜
	Singkawang	便宜
Huizhou	Jixi	便宜
Jin	Taiyuan	便宜, 賤
Jin	Xinzhou	便宜, 賤
Northern Min	Jian'ou	便宜
	Nanping (Xiayang, Yanping)	便宜
	Songxi	便宜
	Zhenghe	便宜
	Shunchang (Yangdun)	平
	Jianyang	平
	Wuyishan	平
	Pucheng (Shibei)	便宜
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	便宜, 賤
Eastern Min	Matsu	便宜
Southern Min	Xiamen	俗, 便宜
	Quanzhou	俗, 便宜
	Zhangzhou	俗, 便宜
	Taipei	俗
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	俗
	Kaohsiung	俗
	Yilan	俗, 便宜
	Changhua (Lukang)	俗
	Taichung	俗
	Taichung (Wuqi)	俗
	Tainan	俗
	Taitung	俗
	Hsinchu	俗
	Kinmen	俗
	Penghu (Magong)	俗, 便宜
	Penang (Hokkien)	便宜
	Singapore (Hokkien)	偏
	Manila (Hokkien)	俗
	Chaozhou	便
	Shantou	便
	Jieyang	便
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	便
	Singapore (Teochew)	便
	Wenchang	便宜
	Haikou	便宜
	Qionghai	便宜
	Singapore (Hainanese)	便宜
Puxian Min	Putian	相因
Puxian Min	Xianyou	相因
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	平
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	平
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	平
Wu	Shanghai	便宜, 𠼢
	Shanghai (Chongming)	便宜, 𠼢
	Suzhou	便宜, 𠼢
	Danyang	便宜, 賤
	Hangzhou	便宜, 𠼢
	Ningbo	便宜, 𠼢
	Wenzhou	鬆, 便宜
	Jinhua	便宜, 賤
Xiang	Changsha	便宜
	Loudi	便宜
	Shuangfeng	便宜, 賤

Dialectal synonyms of 聰明 (“clever; intelligent; smart; bright”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		聰明, 伶俐, 聰敏, 聰穎
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		聰明, 機靈, 伶俐, 聰敏, 聰穎, 聰慧
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	聰明
	Taiwan	聰明
	Malaysia	聰明
	Singapore	聰明
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	聰明
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	靈, 靈醒
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	精靈, 聰明
	Wuhan	聰明
	Guilin	聰明
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	聰明
Jianghuai Mandarin	Hefei	聰明
Cantonese	Guangzhou	聰明, 醒, 醒目, 叻, 精
	Hong Kong	聰明, 醒, 醒目, 叻, 精
	Taishan	聰明, 叻, 參
	Kaiping (Chikan)	叻
	Yangjiang	伶俐, 叻
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	精, 扮𠮨
	Singapore (Guangfu)	聰明, 精, 叻, 醒目, 扮𠮨
Gan	Nanchang	精靈, 聰明
Hakka	Meixian	聰明, 機靈
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	聰明
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	聰明
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	聰明
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	聰明, 精
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	聰明, 精
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	聰明
	Kuching (Hepo)	將
Jin	Taiyuan	機靈, 聰明
Northern Min	Jian'ou	聰明
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	聰明
Southern Min	Xiamen	聰明
	Quanzhou	聰明, 骨, 骨鳥 derogatory
	Zhangzhou	聰明
	Taipei	聰明, 巧, 明白
	Singapore (Hokkien)	聰明, 𠢕, 勥, 醒目, 巧
	Manila (Hokkien)	巧, 勥, 𠢕
	Chaozhou	聰明
	Singapore (Teochew)	聰明
	Wenchang	精
	Singapore (Hainanese)	精
Wu	Suzhou	聰明
	Ningbo	聰明
	Wenzhou	靈, 聰明
Xiang	Changsha	靈泛, 聰明
Xiang	Shuangfeng	聰明

Compounds

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		巧
alternative forms		蹺／跷竅／窍橋／桥嘺／𪡀𫣹

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): kiu²

(Taishan, Wiktionary): kiau²

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: kiu²
  - Yale: kíu
  - Cantonese Pinyin: kiu²
  - Guangdong Romanization: kiu²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiːu̯³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: kiau²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiau⁵⁵/

Definitions

巧

(Cantonese) opportune; coincidental

Compounds

咁啱得咁巧 (gam³ ngaam¹ dak¹ gam³ kiu²) (Cantonese)
巧妙 (Cantonese)
湊巧／凑巧 (cau³ haau²) (Cantonese)

Etymology 3

Pronunciation borrowed from Mandarin 好 (hǎo), tone from Cantonese 好 (hou2).

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): haau²

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: haau²
  - Yale: háau
  - Cantonese Pinyin: haau²
  - Guangdong Romanization: hao²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /haːu̯³⁵/

Definitions

巧

(Hong Kong Cantonese, neologism, leetspeak or sarcastic) Alternative form of 好
巧威威 [Cantonese] ― haau² wai¹ wai¹ [Jyutping] ― very awesome (sarcastic)

Japanese

Kanji

巧

(Jōyō kanji)

clever, skillful

Readings

Go-on: きょう (kyō)
Kan-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)^{←かう (kau, historical)}
Kun: うまい (umai, 巧い)、たくみ (takumi, 巧み, Jōyō)、たくむ (takumu, 巧む)、さとい (satoi)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
巧
たく(み) Grade: S
kun'yomi

Proper noun

巧(たくみ) • (Takumi)

a male given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
巧
こう Grade: S
on'yomi

Proper noun

巧(こう) • (Kō) ^{←かう (Kau)^?}

a male given name

Korean

Hanja

巧 (eumhun 공교할 교 (gonggyohal gyo))

hanja form^? of 교 (“skillful, ingenious, clever”)

Compounds

교묘 (巧妙, gyomyo, “ingenuity, skill, cleverness”)
정교 (精巧, jeonggyo, “elaborateness, delicateness, exquisiteness”)
기묘 (技巧, gimyo, “technique, technical ability, finesse, skill”)

Vietnamese

Han character

巧: Hán Nôm readings: xảo

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.