膠 (jiāo) - Glue, adhesive, gelatin & rubber

膠Tone 1

jiāo ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

膠 · jiāo

Glue, adhesive, gelatin;

rubber;

sticky, viscous;

to glue, to stick together.

Glue, adhesive, gelatinrubbersticky, viscous

Usage highlights

RubberGlueAdhesive tapeGelatinPlasticLatex

Synonyms

  • 粘— to stick, to adhere
  • 贴— to paste, to attach

Antonyms

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

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is strong adhesive (强力胶).
  • He used glue to fix it (用胶粘).
  • Rubber bands are elastic (橡皮胶).
  • Animal gelatin is used in food (动物胶).

Collocations

  • Rubber(橡胶)
  • Glue(胶水)
  • Adhesive tape(胶带)
  • Gelatin(明胶)
  • Plastic(塑料胶)
  • Latex(乳胶)

Idioms

  • As close as glue and lacquer(如胶似漆)
  • Glue the mouth and bind the tongue(胶口结舌)
  • Stuck in a rut(胶柱鼓瑟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically made from animal hides, bones, and fish bladders before synthetic alternatives.
  • The character appears in idioms describing intimate relationships or stubborn adherence to rules.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, certain animal glues like donkey-hide gelatin (阿胶) are valued tonics.

FAQ