Chinese Character: 狡
1. Character Basics
Radical: 犭/quǎn radical (dog radical)
Stroke Count: 9
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: jiǎo (third tone)
3. Meaning
crafty, cunning, sly
4. Common Words
- 狡猾 (jiǎo huá) - cunning, sly
- 狡辩 (jiǎo biàn) - quibble, sophistry
- 狡诈 (jiǎo zhà) - crafty, deceitful
- 狡计 (jiǎo jì) - cunning plan, trick
- 狡兔三窟 (jiǎo tù sān kū) - a crafty rabbit has three burrows (idiom)
- 狡猾的狐狸 (jiǎo huá de hú li) - a cunning fox
5. Grammar & Usage
"狡" is often used as a morpheme in compound words with negative connotations
It typically describes people or animals that are crafty or deceitful
Common structures include "狡猾的 + noun" (crafty + noun)
It appears in several Chinese idioms, most notably "狡兔三窟"
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the concept of "狡" is often associated with negative qualities like deceit and trickery
The idiom "狡兔三窟" comes from ancient Chinese literature and refers to being prepared with multiple options
Historically, this character was sometimes used to describe animals like foxes and rabbits that were seen as clever
In modern usage, it generally refers to human behavior that is considered underhanded
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 不要相信他的狡辩，他在撒谎。
Pinyin: Bùyào xiāngxìn tā de jiǎobiàn, tā zài sāhuǎng.
Translation: Don't believe his quibbling, he's lying.
8. Memory Tips
The character "狡" consists of the "犭" (dog) radical and "交" (cross, exchange)
One way to remember it is to think of a dog that is "cross" or difficult to deal with, hence crafty
The "犭" radical often appears in characters related to animals or animal-like qualities
The pronunciation "jiǎo" is similar to other characters we've learned like "角" (jiǎo)