唬 hǔ to intimidate
to intimidate; to scare
How to remember 唬: 口 mouth + 虎 tiger = to intimidate. Painted as a tiger for the fair, my little brother opens his mouth wide and growls, hoping to intimidate the neighbour's cat.
Component breakdown
唬 = 口 mouth + 虎 tiger
- 口 mouth
- 虎 tiger
- 虍 tiger
- 几 how many
Painted as a tiger for the fair, my little brother opens his mouth wide and growls, hoping to intimidate the neighbour's cat.
How it is used
- Mostly lives in the colloquial 吓唬 (xiàhu, to scare/bluff) - 别吓唬孩子 (bié xiàhu háizi) don't frighten the kid.
- Also 唬人 (hǔrén) to bluff, to put on a scary front that isn't backed up - 他就是唬人的 (tā jiùshì hǔrén de) he's just bluffing.
- Note the tone shift: 唬 is hǔ, but the 唬 in 吓唬 is toneless.