拗

抝

ào, ǎo, niù

幼 + 扌

Definitions

ào variant of 拗[ào]

ǎo (dialect) to twist; to bend (in order to break sth or form it into a shape)

ào (bound form) intractable; contrary; disobedient

niù stubborn; perverse; contrary

Etymology phono-semantic

hand

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 幼

About

拗 is a phono-semantic compound: the hand radical 扌 on the left indicates manual action, while the phonetic component 幼 on the right suggests the pronunciation. It has three distinct pronunciations: ǎo, a verb meaning to break or snap by bending; niù, an adjective for a stubborn or disobedient person, as in 执拗; and ào, describing awkward-sounding or difficult-to-articulate speech, as in 拗口.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这孩子性格很执拗。

Zhè háizi xìnggé hěn zhíniù.

This child has a very stubborn personality.

他拗不过母亲的再三请求。

Tā niù bú guò mǔqin de zàisān qǐngqiú.

He couldn't withstand his mother's repeated pleas.

别把手里的铁丝拗断了。

Bié bǎ shǒu lǐ de tiěsī niù duàn le.

Don't twist and break the iron wire in your hand.

她说这个词的发音有点拗口。

Tā shuō zhège cí de fāyīn yǒudiǎn àokǒu.

She said the pronunciation of this word is a bit awkward.

他的执拗最终导致了合作的失败。

Tā de zhíniù zuìzhōng dǎozhìle hézuò de shībài.

His stubbornness ultimately led to the failure of the cooperation.

老人拗着一股劲儿，非要自己走回家。

Lǎorén niù zhe yī gǔ jìnr, fēi yào zìjǐ zǒu huí jiā.

The old man, driven by a stubborn determination, insisted on walking home by himself.

这种文风过于雕琢，读起来未免拗涩。

Zhè zhǒng wénfēng guòyú diāozhuó, dú qǐlái wèimiǎn àosè.

This writing style is overly ornate and inevitably reads as stilted and obscure.

情感上的拗结不是三言两语能解开的。

Qínggǎn shàng de niùjié bú shì sān yán liǎng yǔ néng jiěkāi de.

The emotional knot cannot be untangled with just a few words.

Related Characters

Component: 幼

Component: 扌

拗