Definitions

wāi (adjective) askew; crooked; tilted
wāi (adjective) devious; evil
wāi (verb) to lie on one's side

Etymology

Not  straight 

About

The character "歪" is etymologically constructed from the components "不", meaning "not", and "正", meaning "straight" or "correct", forming a compound ideograph that literally denotes "not straight" and initially referred to physical crookedness or a slant. Its structure visually encapsulates the idea of deviation, serving as a direct representation of something askew or off-center. Over time, the meaning of "歪" extended beyond concrete spatial descriptions to encompass abstract forms of impropriety, such as flawed reasoning or unethical behavior, thereby gaining metaphorical layers that imply falsity or moral divergence while still retaining its original compositional sense.

Example Sentences Hide

这幅画挂了。

Zhè fú huà guà wāi le.

This painting is hung crookedly.

着头想问题。

Tā wāi zhe tóu xiǎng wèntí.

He tilted his head thinking about the problem.

风吹倒了脖子树。

Fēng chuī dǎo le wāi bózi shù.

The wind blew down the crooked-neck tree.

不要曲事实的真相。

Bùyào wāiqū shìshí de zhēnxiàng.

Do not distort the truth of the facts.

他的理总是让人无语。

Tā de wāilǐ zǒng shì ràng rén wúyǔ.

His fallacious reasoning always leaves people speechless.

那个主意导致了严重的后果。

Nàgè wāi zhǔyì dǎozhì le yánzhòng de hòuguǒ.

That crooked idea led to serious consequences.

风邪气必须被制止。

Wāi fēng xié qì bìxū bèi zhìzhǐ.

Unhealthy trends and evil practices must be stopped.

尽管他试图用理辩解,但法官还是看穿了真相。

Jǐnguǎn tā shìtú yòng wāilǐ biànjiě, dàn fǎguān háishì kànchuān le zhēnxiàng.

Although he tried to justify with fallacious reasoning, the judge saw through the truth.