jiǎo

horn; corner; jiao (written) [unit of currency = 0.1 yuan]

HSK Level 2

Example Sentences

这个角很锋利。

Zhège jiǎo hěn fēnglì.

This corner is very sharp.

他把书角折了。

Tā bǎ shū jiǎo zhé le.

He folded the corner of the book.

这个三角形有三个角。

Zhège sānjiǎoxíng yǒu sān gè jiǎo.

This triangle has three corners.

Synonyms

角儿 (jiǎo er)

actor, actress

角度 (jiǎo dù)

angle

Antonyms

(biān)

side

(yuán)

round

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 角 (jiǎo) for "horn" is a pictograph that depicts the shape of an animal's horn. The character is composed of two parts: the radical ⺮ (niú), which means "cow," and the phonetic component 角 (jiǎo), which is a simplified version of the character 角 (jué), which means "corner." The combination of these two components suggests the idea of a cow's horn, which is a hard, pointed projection that grows from the head of a cow.The character 角 has been used in Chinese writing for thousands of years, and it has a rich history and cultural significance. In ancient China, horns were often used as symbols of strength and power, and they were often depicted in art and literature. The character 角 is also used in many Chinese idioms and proverbs, such as "一角钱" (yī jiǎo qián), which means "a dime," and "牛角尖" (niú jiǎo jiān), which means "to be stubborn."The character 角 is also used in many Chinese surnames, such as 焦 (Jiāo), 角 (Jué), and 钮 (Niǔ). These surnames are all derived from the character 角, and they all have a long and distinguished history in China.