钓

釣

diào

勺 + 钅

HSK 2.0Level 5

Definitions

diào (verb) to fish with a hook and bait

Etymology

A metal 钅 hook 勺; 勺 also provides the pronunciation

About

钓 means fishing with a hook and line. It is a phono-semantic compound: the metal radical 钅 (simplified from 金) indicates the material of the hook, while the right-hand component 勺 (sháo) depicts a hook and gives the sound. In the traditional character 釣, the full 金 radical underscores the metal fishhook. Over time, the character's sense broadened metaphorically to mean baiting, luring, or seeking something by deceptive means, fishing for compliments, angling for fame, or luring someone into a trap with an attractive but deceptive reward.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

爸爸喜欢钓鱼。

Bàba xǐhuān diàoyú.

My dad likes fishing.

周末我们去河边钓鱼。

Zhōumò wǒmen qù hébiān diàoyú.

We are going fishing by the river this weekend.

爷爷在湖里钓到一条大鱼。

Yéye zài hú lǐ diào dào yī tiáo dà yú.

Grandpa caught a big fish in the lake.

他用一根新鱼竿钓鱼。

Tā yòng yī gēn xīn yúgān diàoyú.

He is fishing with a new fishing rod.

钓鱼需要耐心和技巧。

Diàoyú xūyào nàixīn hé jìqiǎo.

Fishing requires patience and skill.

有些人不为吃鱼，只为享受钓鱼的乐趣。

Yǒuxiē rén bù wèi chī yú, zhǐ wèi xiǎngshòu diàoyú de lèqù.

Some people don't fish to eat, but only to enjoy the pleasure of fishing.

他这番话明显是在钓我的胃口。

Tā zhè fān huà míngxiǎn shì zài diào wǒ de wèikǒu.

His words were clearly meant to whet my appetite.

社交媒体上的虚假广告常常是为了钓取用户信息。

Shèjiāo méitǐ shàng de xūjiǎ guǎnggào chángcháng shì wèile diào qǔ yònghù xìnxī.

Fake advertisements on social media are often used to fish for users' information.

Related Characters

Component: 勺

Component: 钅

钓