刁 diāo tricky

源How it came to be

A late variant of the knife block, written with the blade hooked round. There is no ancient form: the bent shape was simply given its own meaning, sly and tricky, long after the script settled.

用How it is used

• Crafty and hard to deal with - 刁难 (diāonàn) to deliberately make things difficult for someone, 刁钻 (diāozuān) tricky and sly.
• Always negative - it paints someone as cunning and obstructive, not merely clever.
• 故意刁难 (gùyì diāonàn) = to deliberately give someone a hard time.

字Characters built with 刁

• 叼 to hold in the mouth

词Words with 刁

• 刁难diāonànto be hard on somebodyHSK 8