刁

diāo

Rank #3635

Definitions

diāo surname Diao

diāo artful; wicked

Etymology

About

The character "刁" derives its form from the earlier character "刀", meaning knife, from which it was graphically distinguished through a minor modification that replaced the straight horizontal stroke with a rising hook. This structural adjustment facilitated a semantic divergence, allowing the character to move beyond its concrete origins and develop abstract associations with human behavior. Initially serving as a variant or phonetic loan for "刀", it gradually specialized in representing notions of cunning, craftiness, and deliberate obstinacy, as seen in terms like "刁滑" for slyness or "刁难" for creating difficulties. Its etymology remains linked to the concept of a blade, but the meaning shifted entirely to describe traits of artful trickery or troublesome behavior, a transition that solidified over centuries without altering its fundamental composition.

Example Sentences Hide

不要刁难我。

Bùyào diāonàn wǒ.

Don't make things difficult for me.

这个问题很刁钻。

Zhège wèntí hěn diāozuān.

This question is very tricky.

他经常刁难新员工。

Tā jīngcháng diāonàn xīn yuángōng.

He often makes things difficult for new employees.

历史上有些官员害怕刁民。

Lìshǐ shàng yǒuxiē guānyuán hàipà diāomín.

In history, some officials feared unruly people.

那个对手十分刁滑狡诈。

Nàge duìshǒu shífēn diāohuá jiǎozhà.

That opponent is very cunning and deceitful.

尽管条件刁钻，他仍完成了任务。

Jǐnguǎn tiáojiàn diāozuān, tā réng wánchéngle rènwù.

Although the conditions were tricky, he still completed the task.

为了避免被刁难，她仔细检查了报告。

Wèile bìmiǎn bèi diāonàn, tā zǐxì jiǎnchále bàogào.

To avoid being given a hard time, she carefully checked the report.

在复杂的情况下，他总能想出刁钻的解决方案。

Zài fùzá de qíngkuàng xià, tā zǒng néng xiǎng chū diāozuān de jiějué fāng'àn.

In complex situations, he can always come up with ingenious solutions.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: ㇀

Component: 𠃌

Components

㇀𠃌

刁