Definitions

piàn (verb) to cheat; to deceive; to swindle

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for deception, 骗, originates from its traditional form 騙, which is composed of the semantic component 馬 (horse) and the phonetic component 扁. Its earliest meaning was not directly related to lying but instead described the action of leaping or mounting a horse, a sense now largely obsolete. Over time, the meaning shifted from this physical act of agile movement to encompass the more abstract and negative concept of using clever words or actions to mislead someone, capturing the idea of a swift and skillful manipulation of truth. The modern simplified form retains the phonetic element 扁 but replaces the detailed 馬 with its streamlined counterpart 马, preserving the character’s structural logic while reducing its complexity.

Example Sentences Hide

你不要别人。

Nǐ bù yào piàn bié rén.

You should not deceive others.

子经常说谎。

Piànzi jīngcháng shuōhuǎng.

Cheaters often tell lies.

他欺了朋友。

Tā qīpiàn le péngyǒu.

He deceived his friend.

这是一种诈行为。

Zhè shì yī zhǒng zhàpiàn xíngwéi.

This is a fraudulent act.

如果你我,我会很伤心。

Rúguǒ nǐ piàn wǒ, wǒ huì hěn shāngxīn.

If you lie to me, I will be very sad.

他曾经被过很多钱。

Tā céngjīng bèi piàn guò hěnduō qián.

He was once cheated out of a lot of money.

那个子用假身份了所有人。

Nàgè piànzi yòng jiǎ shēnfèn piàn le suǒyǒu rén.

That cheater deceived everyone with a fake identity.

尽管他试图过检查,但最终还是被发现了。

Jǐnguǎn tā shìtú piàn guò jiǎnchá, dàn zuìzhōng háishì bèi fāxiàn le.

Although he tried to deceive the inspection, he was finally discovered.