刁 meaning and stroke order
Tricky, sly, crafty, cunning
How to write 刁, stroke by stroke
2 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
Meaning of 刁
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- artful
- wicked
How to remember 刁
刁 (diāo) looks like 刀 (dāo, knife) with its last stroke flicked upward into a sneaky hook. Picture a knife that bends the rules: that is someone tricky and sly.
刁 describes people who are crafty or deliberately difficult, and it is most often met in the word 刁难 (diāonàn), to make things hard for someone on purpose. Example: 他总是刁难新同事。(Tā zǒngshì diāonàn xīn tóngshì.) He always gives new colleagues a hard time.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 刁 with 刀 (dāo, knife). The two are nearly identical, but in 刁 the final stroke rises to the right as a tick instead of sweeping down to the left, and the tone is diāo, not dāo.
Common words with 刁
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 刁难 | diāonàn | to be hard on sb; to deliberately make things difficult; Taiwan pr. [diao1nan2] | HSK 7-9 |
刁 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 刁
Learning 刁 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 刁
How many strokes are in 刁?
刁 is written with 2 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 刁 mean?
刁 (diāo) means tricky, sly, crafty, cunning. A common word with it is 刁难 (diāonàn), meaning "to be hard on sb; to deliberately make things difficult; Taiwan pr. [diao1nan2]".
How do you pronounce 刁?
刁 is pronounced diāo, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 刁 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 刁 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 刁 a negative word?
Yes. Calling someone 刁 suggests they are cunning or hard to deal with on purpose, so it is a criticism, not a compliment. A common phrase is 刁蛮 (diāomán), willful and unreasonable.
Is 刁 also a surname?
Yes, 刁 is a Chinese family name, read diāo. As a surname it carries no negative meaning.