巧妙

Chinese

Etymology 1

		opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens; skilful; timely	clever; wonderful
trad. (巧妙)		巧	妙
simp. ^#(巧妙)		巧	妙

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): qiǎomiào

(Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄠˇ ㄇㄧㄠˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): haau² miu⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kháu-meu

(Hailu, HRS): kau^ˊ miau^ˊ
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): khiáu-biāu / khá-biāu

(Teochew, Peng'im): ka² miao⁶
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁵khau-miau₆ / ³khe-miau₆

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: qiǎomiào
  - Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄠˇ ㄇㄧㄠˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ciǎomiào
  - Wade–Giles: chʻiao³-miao⁴
  - Yale: chyǎu-myàu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cheaumiaw
  - Palladius: цяомяо (cjaomjao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: haau² miu⁶
  - Yale: háau miuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: haau² miu⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: hao² miu⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /haːu̯³⁵ miːu̯²²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kháu-meu
  - Hakka Romanization System: kau^ˋ meu
  - Hagfa Pinyim: kau³ meu⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /kʰau̯³¹ meu̯⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: kau^ˊ miau^ˊ
  - Sinological IPA: /kʰau²⁴⁻³³ miau²⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiáu-biāu
  - Tâi-lô: khiáu-biāu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qiaw'biau
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰiau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ biau³³/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /kʰiau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ biau³³/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰiau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ biau⁴¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kʰiau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ biau²²/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khá-biāu
  - Tâi-lô: khá-biāu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qafbiau
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kʰa⁵³⁻⁴⁴ biau²²/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: ka² miao⁶
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khá miău
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰa⁵²⁻³⁵ miau³⁵/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵khau-miau₆
  - MiniDict: khau^去 miau^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²khau-miau₃
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰɔ³³ miɔ⁴⁴/
- (Northern: Jiaxing)
  - Wugniu: ³khe-miau₆
  - MiniDict: khe^上 miau^去
  - Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /kʰe²² miɔ¹³/

Adjective

巧妙

(of a design, answer, method, etc.) ingenious; clever

Synonyms

edit

奇妙 (qímiào)
奇巧 (qíqiǎo)
妙 (miào) (literary, or in compounds)
神奇 (shénqí)
神妙 (shénmiào)
神秘 (shénmì)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (巧妙):

→ Japanese: 巧妙(こうみょう) (kōmyō)
→ Korean: 교묘(巧妙) (gyomyo)
→ Vietnamese: xảo diệu (巧妙)

Etymology 2

	opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens; skilful; timely	clever; wonderful
trad. (巧妙)	巧	妙
simp. ^#(巧妙)	巧	妙
alternative forms	蹺妙／跷妙

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): kiu² miu⁶

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: kiu² miu⁶
  - Yale: kíu miuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: kiu² miu⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: kiu² miu⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiːu̯³⁵ miːu̯²²/

Noun

巧妙

(Cantonese) knack; trick

Japanese

Kanji in this term
巧	妙
こう Grade: S	みょう Grade: S
on'yomi

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ko̞ːmʲo̞ː]
(Tokyo) こーみょー [kòómyóó] (Heiban – [0])

Adjective

巧(こう)妙(みょう) • (kōmyō) -na (adnominal 巧(こう)妙(みょう)な (kōmyō na), adverbial 巧(こう)妙(みょう)に (kōmyō ni))

ingenious; skillful; clever; sophisticated
- 2017 May 24, 熊野正士, quotee, “第193回国会　参議院　消費者問題に関する特別委員会　第6号　平成29年5月24日”, in 国会会議録検索システム‎^[1], 国立国会図書館:
  そして、高齢者を食い物にする悪質な事業者もどんどん巧妙になっていると聞いています。
  Soshite, kōreisha o kuimono ni suru akushitsu na jigyōsha mo dondon kōmyō ni natte iru to kiite i-masu.
  I've also heard that unscrupulous businesses that prey on the elderly are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Inflection

Inflection of 巧妙
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	巧妙だろ	こうみょうだろ	kōmyō daro
Continuative (連用形)	巧妙で	こうみょうで	kōmyō de
Terminal (終止形)	巧妙だ	こうみょうだ	kōmyō da
Attributive (連体形)	巧妙な	こうみょうな	kōmyō na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	巧妙なら	こうみょうなら	kōmyō nara
Imperative (命令形)	巧妙であれ	こうみょうであれ	kōmyō de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	巧妙ではない巧妙じゃない	こうみょうではないこうみょうじゃない	kōmyō de wa nai kōmyō ja nai
Informal past	巧妙だった	こうみょうだった	kōmyō datta
Informal negative past	巧妙ではなかった巧妙じゃなかった	こうみょうではなかったこうみょうじゃなかった	kōmyō de wa nakatta kōmyō ja nakatta
Formal	巧妙です	こうみょうです	kōmyō desu
Formal negative	巧妙ではありません巧妙じゃありません	こうみょうではありませんこうみょうじゃありません	kōmyō de wa arimasen kōmyō ja arimasen
Formal past	巧妙でした	こうみょうでした	kōmyō deshita
Formal negative past	巧妙ではありませんでした巧妙じゃありませんでした	こうみょうではありませんでしたこうみょうじゃありませんでした	kōmyō de wa arimasen deshita kōmyō ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	巧妙で	こうみょうで	kōmyō de
Conditional	巧妙なら（ば）	こうみょうなら（ば）	kōmyō nara (ba)
Provisional	巧妙だったら	こうみょうだったら	kōmyō dattara
Volitional	巧妙だろう	こうみょうだろう	kōmyō darō
Adverbial	巧妙に	こうみょうに	kōmyō ni
Degree	巧妙さ	こうみょうさ	kōmyōsa

Noun

巧(こう)妙(みょう) • (kōmyō)

ingenuity; skill; cleverness; sophistication

References

“巧妙”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja in this term
巧	妙

Root

巧妙 • (gyomyo) (hangeul 교묘)

hanja form^? of 교묘

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
巧	妙

Adjective

巧妙

chữ Hán form of xảo diệu (“ingenious; clever; skillful”)

Noun

巧妙

chữ Hán form of xảo diệu (“ingenuity; dexterity”)