巧
qiǎo · HSK 3
clever
💡 工 (work) + 丂 (breath/exhale) = skill that comes out with ease
巧 combines 工 (work, craft) with 丂 (a puff of breath). The sense is craft so refined it flows out effortlessly — hence clever, skillful, ingenious. Compare 技巧 (jìqiǎo, technique) and 巧妙 (qiǎomiào, ingenious).
巧 — 工 (work) + 丂 (breath/exhalation phonetic)
巧 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left 工 (work, craft) gives the meaning, pointing to skilled craftsmanship, while the right 丂 supplies the sound. From 'skilled handiwork' the meaning broadened to 'clever, ingenious,' and later to 'coincidental' as in 凑巧.