较 (jiào) is a Chinese character meaning “to compare”. It is written from 车 (vehicle; cart) and 交 (to cross; to hand over; to intersect), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to compare”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
车 + 交
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：车 4 画 + 交 6 画 = 10 画）
Memory aid
Two carts (车) pull up side by side and their paths cross (交) — now you can compare them. Both parts are really in this character: 车 on the left, and 交 on the right, which also hints at the sound jiào.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 比较bǐ jiàoto compare; relatively; fairly较 = jiào
- 计较jì jiàoto fuss over; to haggle; to argue about较 = jiào
Go deeper
All readings
to compare; relatively
to compare; comparatively; relatively; rather
比较；相比之下程度更进一层，表示“比较”“相对地”。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 比较bǐ jiàoto compare; relatively; fairly较 = jiào
- 计较jì jiàoto fuss over; to haggle; to argue about较 = jiào
Sound component
交 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 较 mean?
较 (jiào) means to compare; comparatively; relatively; rather.
How do you pronounce 较?
It is pronounced jiào.
What parts is 较 made of?
车 (vehicle; cart) and 交 (to cross; to hand over; to intersect), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：车 4 画 + 交 6 画 = 10 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 较 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 较?
车. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 较?
Common ones are 比较 and 计较. The reading of 较 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.