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校

校 (xiào) Chinese Character: school; compare or check

10 strokes · HSK 1 · Radical 木

In 学校, read 校 as xiào and picture a place where learners meet.

Practice 校 in the interactive lesson

Chinese character story: The Character Inside “School”

校 has two common readings. In 学校, “school,” it is pronounced xiào. In words about checking or comparing text, such as 校对, it is pronounced jiào. This beginner lesson focuses on xiào because 学校 is one of the first place words a learner needs. The left side 木 is a meaning or historical clue, while 交 mainly helps with sound. Context tells you which pronunciation and meaning to use.

🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes

Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.

学校
学study校school=school
校门
校school门gate=school gate

Chinese character origin and etymology

校 is a sound-and-meaning character with 木 as the semantic component and 交 as the phonetic component. Its older meanings involved wooden structures or restraints; the common meaning “school” developed later.

木 stands on the left and 交 fills the right side, making a clear left-right structure. 校 contains 木 and 交. These parts act like clues: a component may suggest a meaning category, a pronunciation, or simply preserve part of the character's historical structure.

Chinese character stroke order and structure

校 is written with 10 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.

  • 木 — wood — preserves the older material category
  • 交 — phonetic clue — helps indicate the character’s pronunciation history

Common usage and sentence patterns

The examples below show 校 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.

我们去学校。 Wǒmen qù xuéxiào. We go to school.
学校里有很多学生。 Xuéxiào lǐ yǒu hěn duō xuésheng. There are many students at school.
她在学校看书。 Tā zài xuéxiào kàn shū. She reads at school.

Learning tips for 校

Learn the reading as one unit: xiào, with the fourth tone: a sharp fall. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “school; compare or check,” and write the 10 strokes from memory.

Because 校 contains reusable components, identify those clues before memorizing the whole shape. Compare it with 学 (xué, to learn); 生 (shēng, student; life); 木 (mù, tree; wood). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.

Quick review checklist

  • Can you recognize 校 without pinyin?
  • Can you say xiào with the correct tone and explain “school; compare or check”?
  • Can you write all 10 strokes in order?
  • Can you use 校 in one short sentence?

Related characters

Continue learning Chinese characters

Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.

Sources and editorial note

HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.

Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.