浇
Character Story & Explanation
浇 is widely used across modern Chinese life — from urban residents watering balcony herbs to farmers irrigating rice fields. It appears in official agricultural guidelines, weather reports (e.g., '需及时浇水'), and even in idioms like 浇冷水 (jiāo lěng shuǐ), meaning 'to dash someone’s hopes', documented in 20th-century vernacular literature. The phrase dates back to at least the 1930s in Shanghai newspaper columns describing discouraging remarks.
The character 浇 first appeared in seal script during the Qin dynasty (3rd c. BCE) as a phonosemantic compound: 氵 (water) + 尧 (yáo, phonetic component, indicating sound). Unlike pictographs (e.g., 日 for 'sun'), it wasn’t drawn from nature but formed systematically — reflecting how Chinese writing evolved toward standardized sound-meaning pairing rather than pure imagery.
Hi students! Let’s learn the character 浇 (jiāo), which means 'to pour liquid' — especially water onto plants, concrete, or other surfaces. It’s a very practical, everyday verb in Chinese. Notice its radical 氵 (three-dot water), which immediately tells us it’s related to water or liquids. This is a great example of how Chinese radicals help you guess meaning even before you know the pronunciation!
The pronunciation jiāo is a first tone — flat and high, like singing a steady note. Practice saying it clearly: “jee-ow” (not “jow” like “cow”). Since it’s HSK Level 5, you’ll encounter it in intermediate reading — especially in contexts about gardening, construction, cooking, or even figurative expressions like ‘浇冷水’ (to pour cold water = to dampen someone’s enthusiasm).
Don’t confuse 浇 with similar-sounding characters like 骄 (jiāo, 'arrogant') or 娇 (jiāo, 'delicate'). The water radical is your anchor here — if you see 氵, think liquid action! Also remember: this verb usually takes a direct object (e.g., 浇水, 浇花) and often appears in compound verbs or fixed phrases. Try using it daily — even just imagining watering your plants in Chinese helps build fluency!
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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