挑

• Pinyin: tiāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 挑 = 扌(hand) + 兆 (phonetic component)

Meaning

To carry on a shoulder pole; to pick out; to select carefully.

Has two common pronunciations: tiāo (to pick/select, or to carry on a pole) and tiǎo (to provoke). At HSK 4, the tiāo sense of carefully choosing among options is most commonly tested. Used when someone examines items and selects the best one.

Examples

1. 她在菜市场挑了最新鲜的蔬菜才买。 She picked only the freshest vegetables at the market before buying.
2. 买东西的时候要仔细挑，不要随便拿一件就走。 When shopping you should choose carefully — don't just grab the first one you see.
3. 农民用扁担挑着两桶水慢慢走回家。 The farmer slowly walked home carrying two buckets of water on a shoulder pole.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, shopping

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 她总是很仔细地挑水果。(She always picks fruit very carefully.)
• 你帮我挑一件颜色好看的吧。(Help me pick one with a nice colour.)

Don't Say

• 挑战困难 — here 挑 is read tiǎo, not tiāo; confusing the two tones changes the meaning entirely.

Origin & History

The character 挑 combines 扌(hand radical) and 兆 (phonetic component meaning 'omen'), reflecting the sense of using hands to select or lift.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal