About
Composed of the hand radical and the phonetic element "兆", the character "挑" originally denoted the physical action of lifting or carrying with a pole, a sense retained in compounds referring to tasks like bearing loads. Over centuries, its semantic range widened to include the act of selecting or picking out items from a group, an extension from the manual motion of choosing. Further development led to meanings associated with provocation or stirring up, as in challenging actions or inciting reactions, demonstrating how a character grounded in concrete activity acquired abstract applications through linguistic usage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈挑选新鲜的水果。
他挑了一件蓝色的衬衫。
不要挑剔别人的缺点。
他挑战了新的工作。
她挑起了两人的争吵。
爷爷以前每天挑水灌溉。
有人挑拨他们之间的关系。
他故意挑逗那只小猫玩耍。