Chinese word

挑

Pronunciation

Pinyintiāo

Meaning

  • verbchoose

Example

你自己挑喜欢的就行。nǐ zì jǐ tiāo xǐ huān de jiù xíng

Just choose whichever one you like.

Illustration for 挑 (choose)

More examples

我帮她挑了一件合适的外套。wǒ bāng tā tiāo le yí jiàn hé shì de wài tào

I helped her choose a suitable coat.

Core concept

A hand reaches into a mixed set, examines the options, and takes out the ones that fit.

Common phrases

  • 挑衣服tiāo yī fú

    choose clothes

  • 挑水果tiāo shuí guǒ

    choose fruit

  • 挑工作tiāo gōng zuò

    choose a job

Similar words

选择xuǎn zé: Decide which option or options to take from several choices.
选xuǎn: Select one or more items from those available.
挑选tiāo xuǎn: Carefully pick out preferred or suitable items from many options.

Definition in Chinese

从多项中挑出一项或几项；本义为用手分拣、拿取，后引申为在物品、人物或意见中进行选择。cóng duō xiàng zhōng tiāo chū yí xiàng huò jǐ xiàng běn yì wèi yòng shǒu fēn jiǎn ná qǔ hòu yǐn shēn wèi zài wù pǐn rén wù huò yì jiàn zhōng jìn xíng xuǎn zé

Word origin

The character 挑 (tiāo, "choose") is formed with 扌 (shǒu, "hand") for its meaning and 兆 (zhào, "omen") for its sound, reflecting a hand selecting something from a group.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, the object may be stated after the verb or supplied by context, so a following noun or clause often makes the choice clear.

Other meanings

  • sortverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word