狡猾 jiǎohuá crafty
crafty; cunning; sly
How to remember 狡猾: 狡 cunning + 猾 crafty = crafty.
Characters
How it is used
- Cunning in a deceitful, untrustworthy way - 这个骗子很狡猾 (zhège piànzi hěn jiǎohuá) this swindler is crafty.
- Purely negative, unlike 聪明 (cōngming, clever) or 机智 (jīzhì, quick-witted, positive); 狡猾 always implies trickery aimed at others.
- Close to 狡诈 (jiǎozhà) but slightly milder; commonly describes con artists, foxes, and evasive opponents.