威胁 wēixié to threaten
to threaten; to menace
How to remember 威胁: 威 might + 胁 to threaten = to threaten.
Characters
How it is used
- To threaten, or a threat - works as verb and noun: 威胁到国家安全 (wēixié dào guójiā ānquán) threaten national security.
- Verb use often takes 到 for what is endangered; noun use as 一大威胁 (a major threat).
- Covers both spoken menace (威胁别人) and abstract dangers (环境威胁).
Example sentences
- 他威胁要公开。 Tā wēixié yào gōngkāi.He threatened to make it public.
- 汤姆的女朋友威胁要离开他。 Tāngmǔ de nǚpéngyǒu wēixié yào líkāi tā.Tom's girlfriend threatened to leave him.