ENESFRDE中文

Characters, words, pinyin or English

叼 diāo to hold in the mouth

to hold in the mouth; to hold with one's mouth

How to remember 叼: 口 mouth + 刁 tricky = to hold in the mouth. With a tricky look the puppy opens his mouth, snatches Dad's slipper and trots off, proud of his new treasure to hold in the mouth.

  • HSK 7
  • 5 strokes
  • Radical 口

Component breakdown

叼 = 口 mouth + 刁 tricky

  • 口 mouth
  • 刁 tricky
The Gushi story

With a tricky look the puppy opens his mouth, snatches Dad's slipper and trots off, proud of his new treasure to hold in the mouth.

How it is used

  • To hold something in the mouth (between lips/teeth) - 叼着烟 (diāozhe yān) with a cigarette dangling from the lips, 狗叼着骨头 the dog carries a bone in its mouth.
  • Specifically gripping lightly with the mouth, not biting through or swallowing.
  • Common in vivid narration; not to be confused with 叨 (dāo, to chatter).