About
The character "拐", meaning to swindle, abduct, or turn a corner, derives its form and core concept from its structural composition, which combines the hand radical (扌) with the component "另". This construction originally suggested an action performed by the hand, with the phonetic component hinting at its pronunciation. Its earliest meanings were more physically grounded, referring to the use of a cane or staff for support, or the act of turning or bending, as in walking with a limp or negotiating a bend in a path. Over time, the sense of a turning motion evolved metaphorically into the idea of leading someone astray or turning them from their course, which solidified into its dominant modern meanings of abduction and fraud. The traditional form maintains this same hand-phonetic structure, and the semantic shift from a physical aid or turn to an act of deception illustrates how the character's application broadened from describing a physical action to encompassing a social one.
Example Sentences Hide
请在拐角处左拐。
老人需要拐杖走路。
孩子被坏人拐走了。
他拐进了小巷子里。
警方破获了一起拐卖案件。
那个骗子试图拐骗老年人的钱财。
在复杂的路口，司机必须小心拐弯。
由于腿伤，他暂时依赖拐杖辅助行走。