奸 jiān crafty
crafty; dishonest; selfish; evil; adultery
How to remember 奸: 女 woman + 干 do = crafty. The old woman at the fish stall notices the fresh fish is dry as paper, sees what the seller tried to do, and calls him crafty.
Component breakdown
奸 = 女 woman + 干 do
- 女 woman
- 干 do
The old woman at the fish stall notices the fresh fish is dry as paper, sees what the seller tried to do, and calls him crafty.
How it is used
- Crafty and treacherous: 奸诈 (jiānzhà) deceitful, 奸商 (jiānshāng) a profiteer, 汉奸 (hànjiān) a traitor to China.
- Also illicit sex: 强奸 (qiángjiān) rape, 通奸 (tōngjiān) adultery.
- 狼狈为奸 (lángbèi-wéijiān) = to conspire in evil together.