骄傲
proud; arrogant; pride
jiāo'ào
What does 骄傲 mean?
骄傲 (jiāo'ào) is an adjective and noun that swings between two opposite feelings, and which one is meant depends on the grammar. Followed by 于 or paired with 为 ('proud of'), it is the warm, positive 'proud' — 我为你骄傲 ('I'm proud of you'), 中国的骄傲 ('the pride of China'). Standing alone to describe a person's character, it turns negative: 'arrogant, conceited, full of oneself' — 他很骄傲 usually means 'he's arrogant,' not 'he's proud.'
English keeps 'proud' (good) and 'arrogant' (bad) as separate words; Chinese loads both into 骄傲, so learners must read the frame. As a noun it means 'pride' or 'a source of pride.' The negative sense is the older, dictionary-first one, echoed in the proverb 骄傲使人落后 ('pride makes one fall behind').
Character breakdown
proud; haughty
arrogant; proud
Memory hook: Two 'proud' characters stacked together — so proud it tips over into arrogance unless you aim it at someone (为你骄傲).
Example sentences
爸爸妈妈为我感到骄傲。
Bàba māma wèi wǒ gǎndào jiāo'ào.
My parents feel proud of me.
spoken
他成绩好，但是有点骄傲。
Tā chéngjì hǎo, dànshì yǒudiǎn jiāo'ào.
His grades are good, but he's a bit arrogant.
spoken
这位科学家是我们国家的骄傲。
Zhè wèi kēxuéjiā shì wǒmen guójiā de jiāo'ào.
This scientist is the pride of our country.
written
骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。
Jiāo'ào shǐ rén luòhòu, qiānxū shǐ rén jìnbù.
Pride makes one fall behind; modesty makes one progress.
written
Common phrases with 骄傲
Synonyms
自豪 is purely positive 'proud (of an achievement)' and never means 'arrogant.' When you want the good sense with no ambiguity, use 自豪 — 我为国家感到自豪. 骄傲 is riskier because it can be read as conceited.
傲慢 is unambiguously negative 'arrogant / haughty' in attitude toward others. When 骄傲 means the bad kind, 傲慢 is a sharper, more formal way to say it.
Don't confuse 骄傲 with
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