邪 xié wrong
wrong; evil; demonic
How to remember 邪: 牙 tooth + 阝 mound = wrong. The boy hides his loose tooth under a mound of sand instead of his pillow, and his sister, dramatic as ever, calls it wrong.
Component breakdown
邪 = 牙 tooth + 阝 mound
- 牙 tooth
- 阝 mound
The boy hides his loose tooth under a mound of sand instead of his pillow, and his sister, dramatic as ever, calls it wrong.
How it is used
- 'Evil/heretical/improper' - 邪恶 (xié'è) evil, 邪教 (xiéjiào) a cult, 改邪归正 (gǎixié-guīzhèng) to mend one's ways.
- Opposed to 正 (zhèng, upright/orthodox); the 正/邪 pairing is the standard good-vs-evil axis.
- Colloquially 邪门儿 (xiéménr) means weird/uncanny: 这事儿真邪门 (zhè shìr zhēn xiémén) this is downright bizarre.