Learn a Chinese Character - 饺

1. Character Basics

Radical: 饣/shí (food radical)

Stroke Count: 9

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiǎo (third tone)

3. Meaning

饺子 (jiǎozi) - Chinese dumpling; a type of stuffed dumpling, usually eaten during Chinese New Year and other festivals

4. Common Words

• 饺子 (jiǎozi) - Chinese dumpling

  中国北方人喜欢在春节吃饺子。

  People in northern China like to eat dumplings during Spring Festival.

• 蒸饺 (zhēngjiǎo) - steamed dumplings

  这家餐厅的蒸饺非常有名。

  The steamed dumplings in this restaurant are very famous.

• 煎饺 (jiānjiǎo) - pan-fried dumplings

  我想吃一些煎饺作为早餐。

  I want to eat some pan-fried dumplings for breakfast.

• 水饺 (shuǐjiǎo) - boiled dumplings

  水饺是中国的传统美食。

  Boiled dumplings are a traditional Chinese delicacy.

• 饺子皮 (jiǎozipí) - dumpling wrapper

  她正在擀饺子皮。

  She is rolling out dumpling wrappers.

• 饺子馅 (jiǎozixiàn) - dumpling filling

  今天的饺子馅是猪肉白菜的。

  Today's dumpling filling is pork and Chinese cabbage.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 饺 is most commonly used in the word 饺子 (jiǎozi), which refers to Chinese dumplings. It is rarely used alone and is usually part of compound words related to this traditional food.

In sentences, 饺子 is often used as a noun and can be modified by adjectives or phrases describing its type, flavor, or cooking method:

• 形容词 + 饺子: 美味的饺子 (delicious dumplings), 热乎的饺子 (hot dumplings)
• 动词 + 饺子: 包饺子 (make dumplings), 吃饺子 (eat dumplings), 煮饺子 (boil dumplings)
• 饺子 + 名词: 饺子馆 (dumpling restaurant), 饺子宴 (dumpling feast)

When referring to making dumplings, Chinese people often use the verb 包 (bāo), which means "to wrap" or "to package".

6. Cultural Background

Dumplings (饺子) have a long history in Chinese culture, dating back over 1,800 years. They are traditionally associated with Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) celebrations, especially in northern China.

There are several cultural traditions related to dumplings:

• Eating dumplings on New Year's Eve symbolizes wealth and good fortune because their shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots.
• Some families hide a coin in one dumpling, and the person who finds it is believed to have good luck in the coming year.
• Making dumplings together as a family activity during the New Year represents unity and togetherness.
• Dumplings are also eaten on the Winter Solstice Festival, with the belief that eating them will keep people warm throughout the cold winter.

Today, dumplings have become one of China's most popular and iconic foods, enjoyed by people all over the country and around the world.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 饺 (jiǎo) can be broken down into two parts:

• The left part is 饣 (shí), the food radical, which indicates that this character is related to food.
• The right part is 交 (jiāo), which provides the pronunciation clue and also relates to the idea of wrapping or joining together, which is what you do when making dumplings.

To remember this character:

1. Think of 饺 as "food that is wrapped/jointed together" (食物被交叠在一起).
2. Visualize making dumplings - you take the wrapper, put filling inside, and then fold/wrap it up.
3. Associate the character with the delicious taste of Chinese dumplings, which can help you recall it more easily.
4. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order, especially for the 饣 radical on the left.