胶 (jiāo) - glue & gum

胶Tone 1

jiāo ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

胶 · jiāo

glue;

gum;

rubber;

adhesive;

to glue;

to stick with adhesive

gluegumrubber

Usage highlights

gluerubberadhesive tapephotographic filmgelatinlatex

Synonyms

  • 粘— to stick; adhesive
  • 贴— to paste; attach

Antonyms

  • 脱— to detach; come off
  • 离— to separate; leave

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Apply glue to the paper (胶水).
  • This is natural rubber (天然橡胶).
  • He fixed it with adhesive tape (胶带).
  • The photo is stuck in the album (相册胶).

Collocations

  • glue(胶水)
  • rubber(橡胶)
  • adhesive tape(胶带)
  • photographic film(胶卷)
  • gelatin(胶质)
  • latex(乳胶)

Idioms

  • As close as glue and lacquer(如胶似漆)
  • Stuck together like glue(胶漆相投)
  • Rubber-stamp approval(橡皮图章)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically made from animal hides, bones, and fish bladders before synthetic alternatives.
  • The character contains the 'flesh' radical 月(肉), indicating its organic origins.
  • Modern usage heavily associated with industrial materials like rubber and plastics.

FAQ