Learn a Chinese Character - 较

1. Character Basics

Radical: 车/chē (vehicle radical)

Stroke Count: 10

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiào (fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Compare; relatively; quite; somewhat; fairly; rather; contest; argue over; dispute

4. Common Words

• 比较 (bǐjiào) - compare; relatively

  这个比那个比较好。

  This one is relatively better than that one.

• 较量 (jiàoliàng) - contest, compete, match

  他们决定来一场较量。

  They decided to have a contest.

• 较为 (jiàowéi) - relatively, fairly, quite

  这个问题较为复杂。

  This problem is relatively complex.

• 计较 (jìjiào) - care about, dispute over, haggle over

  不要计较这些小事。

  Don't care about these trivial matters.

• 较劲 (jiàojìn) - compete, struggle, be stubborn

  他们两个人总爱较劲。

  These two people always like to compete with each other.

• 较真 (jiàozhēn) - be serious about, insist on accuracy

  他对工作很较真。

  He is very serious about his work.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 较 is versatile and can be used as both an adverb and a verb:

• As an adverb meaning "relatively" or "fairly":

  When used before adjectives to indicate a moderate degree.

  Example: 今天天气较为凉爽。 (Today's weather is relatively cool.)

  Example: 这个方法较为简单。 (This method is fairly simple.)

• As a verb meaning "to compare" or "to contest":

  Example: 我们来较一下高下。 (Let's compare who is better.)

  Example: 他从不与别人较劲。 (He never contests with others.)

• In the compound 比较 (bǐjiào):

  This is one of the most common uses of 较, meaning "to compare" or "relatively"

  Example: 比较这两个产品的优缺点。 (Compare the advantages and disadvantages of these two products.)

  Example: 这个价格比较合理。 (This price is relatively reasonable.)

• In the structure "较为...的是...":

  Used to highlight something relatively significant

  Example: 较为重要的是，我们必须按时完成任务。 (What's relatively important is that we must complete the task on time.)

较 is an important character in both spoken and written Chinese, often used to express degrees of comparison and relative qualities.

6. Cultural Background

The character 较 reflects important cultural concepts in Chinese society:

• Chinese culture values modesty, and the use of 较 (relatively, fairly) allows speakers to express opinions in a more moderate and less absolute way.
• The concept of comparison (比较) is deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy, where balancing different elements (yin and yang) is emphasized.
• In traditional Chinese education, students were often encouraged to 互相比较 (compare with each other) to promote learning and improvement.
• There are many idioms and expressions using 较, such as 斤斤计较 (jīnjīnjiàojiào) which means "to haggle over every ounce" and 锱铢必较 (zīzhūbìjiào) which means "to argue over every penny".
• Modern Chinese often uses 较 to express objective evaluation and measured opinions, which aligns with the cultural value of maintaining harmony.

Today, 较 remains an essential character in Chinese language, used in various contexts from daily conversations to academic writing.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 较 (jiào) can be broken down into two parts:

• The left part is 车 (chē), the vehicle radical.
• The right part is 交 (jiāo), which provides the pronunciation clue.

To remember this character:

1. Associate the character with its most common use in 比较 (bǐjiào) meaning "to compare".
2. Think of the right component 交 (jiāo) which sounds similar to the pronunciation jiào.
3. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order: first the 车 radical on the left, then the 交 part on the right.
4. Use the character in sentences to reinforce its meaning, such as 这个比较好 (zhège bǐjiào hǎo) meaning "this one is relatively good".
5. Remember that 较 often expresses a moderate or relative degree, which helps distinguish it from more absolute terms.