Learn a Chinese Character - 搅

1. Character Basics

Radical: 扌/shǒu (hand radical)

Stroke Count: 12

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jiǎo (third tone)

3. Meaning

To stir; to mix; to agitate; to disturb; to disrupt; to meddle with; to interfere

4. Common Words

• 搅拌 (jiǎobàn) - to stir, to mix

  请搅拌这些材料直到均匀。

  Please stir these ingredients until they are evenly mixed.

• 搅动 (jiǎodòng) - to stir, to agitate

  他搅动杯子里的咖啡。

  He stirred the coffee in the cup.

• 搅乱 (jiǎoluàn) - to disturb, to disrupt

  不要搅乱我的计划！

  Don't disrupt my plan!

• 搅局 (jiǎojú) - to spoil the fun, to disrupt a situation

  他总是喜欢在派对上搅局。

  He always likes to spoil the fun at parties.

• 搅和 (jiǎohuo) - to mix, to interfere

  不要把不同颜色的衣服搅和在一起洗。

  Don't mix clothes of different colors when washing.

• 纠缠 (jiūchán) - to pester, to纠缠

  他不停地纠缠我借钱给他。

  He keeps pestering me to lend him money.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 搅 is primarily used as a verb, indicating actions related to stirring, mixing, or disturbing something. It is a transitive verb and often requires an object.

Common grammatical patterns with 搅 include:

• 搅 + 名词: 搅咖啡 (stir coffee), 搅鸡蛋 (beat eggs), 搅局 (spoil the fun)
• 搅 + 补语: 搅均匀 (stir evenly), 搅碎 (mash, crush)
• 被 + 名词 + 搅 + 补语: 计划被他搅乱了 (The plan was disrupted by him)
• 搅 + 来 + 搅 + 去: 他在房间里搅来搅去 (He was moving restlessly in the room)

When used metaphorically, 搅 often has a negative connotation, implying interference or disruption of a normal situation.

6. Cultural Background

The character 搅 reflects several aspects of Chinese culture:

• In Chinese cuisine, stirring (搅拌) is a fundamental cooking technique used in many dishes, from stir-fries to soups and sauces.
• There are idioms and expressions using 搅 that reflect social values, such as 搅屎棍 (jiǎoshǐgùn), which literally means "a stick for stirring excrement" and is used to describe someone who intentionally creates trouble.
• Chinese philosophy emphasizes harmony and balance, so actions that "搅乱" (disrupt) this harmony are generally viewed negatively.
• In traditional Chinese medicine, stirring certain herbs during preparation is believed to enhance their efficacy.

Today, 搅 is commonly used in both literal and figurative senses in everyday Chinese language, from describing cooking methods to social situations.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 搅 (jiǎo) can be broken down into two parts:

• The left part is 扌 (shǒu), the hand radical, which indicates that this character is related to an action performed with the hand.
• The right part is 觉 (jué), which provides the pronunciation clue (though the tones are different).

To remember this character:

1. Associate the 扌 (hand) radical with the action of stirring or mixing, which is typically done by hand.
2. Visualize stirring a pot or mixing ingredients while thinking about the character.
3. Connect the character to common phrases like 搅拌 (to stir) or 搅乱 (to disrupt) to reinforce your memory.
4. Notice that the right part 觉 resembles "觉" (feeling), and think of how stirring can create a "feeling" of movement or change in what you're stirring.