Meaning of 操纵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to operate
- to control
- to rig
- to manipulate
How to use 操纵
操纵 is used for operating machines and also for controlling people, markets, or results behind the scenes, often with a negative tone. Example: 他们被指控操纵股价。(Tāmen bèi zhǐkòng cāozòng gǔjià.) They were accused of manipulating stock prices.
操 (cāo) has the hand radical 扌, so think of a hand gripping something, and 纵 (zòng) has the silk radical 纟, like pulling strings. A hand pulling strings is a puppeteer, which is exactly what 操纵 means: to control or manipulate.
Common mistake: Learners often use 操纵 when they just mean operating a computer or app, where 操作 (cāozuò) is the natural word. Also watch the tones: 操 is first tone cāo and 纵 is fourth tone zòng, not zǒng.
操纵 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
操 cāo · to conduct · 16 strokes
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纵 zòng · to indulge in · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 操纵.
| 操作 | cāozuò | to work; to operate |
| 体操 | tǐcāo | gymnastic; gymnastics |
| 操场 | cāochǎng | playground; sports field |
| 操心 | cāoxīn | to worry about |
| 操控 | cāokòng | to control; to manipulate |
| 放纵 | fàngzòng | to indulge; to pamper |
| 纵容 | zòngróng | to tolerate or condone wrongdoing; to allow (sb) to engage in bad behavior |
| 纵然 | zòngrán | even if; even though |
| 纵观 | zòngguān | to survey comprehensively; an overall survey |
| 操劳 | cāoláo | to work hard; to look after |
| 纵深 | zòngshēn | depth (from front to rear); depth (into a territory) |
| 纵横交错 | zònghéng-jiāocuò | criss-crossed (idiom) |
Questions about 操纵
What does 操纵 mean?
操纵 (cāozòng) means "to operate; to control" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 操纵?
操纵 is made of 2 characters: 操 (16 strokes), 纵 (7 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 操纵 an HSK word?
Yes. 操纵 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 操纵 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 操纵 is written 操縱.
What is the difference between 操纵 and 操控?
They overlap a lot and both can mean to control or manipulate. 操控 (cāokòng) is common for steering vehicles or devices and sounds a bit more modern, while 操纵 is the standard word in phrases like 操纵市场 (manipulate the market) and 操纵比赛 (fix a match).
Is 操纵 always negative?
No. In technical contexts it is neutral, as in 操纵飞机 (cāozòng fēijī, to pilot a plane) or 操纵机器 (to operate a machine). When the object is people, elections, or prices, it usually implies unfair hidden control.