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扭扭捏捏 (niǔ niǔ niē niē) — overly shy and hesitant; affectedly modest; coy (in a negative sense)

Definition

Reduplicated AABB adverbial phrase describing someone acting shy, hesitant, or unnaturally modest — usually with a negative judgment. Often used with 地 to modify a verb (e.g. 扭扭捏捏地说).

bound form
overly shy and hesitantaffectedly modestcoy (in a negative sense)

Examples

  • 扭扭捏捏，。
    Tā shuō huà zǒng shì niǔ niǔ niē niē de, yì diǎn dōu bú dà fāng.
    He always speaks in a coy, hesitant way, not at all natural.
  • 扭扭捏捏，。
    Bié nà me niǔ niǔ niē niē de, yǒu shén me huà jiù zhí jiē shuō ba.
    Don't be so shy and affected; if you have something to say, just say it directly.
  • 扭扭捏捏，。
    Tā zài mò shēng rén miàn qián xiǎn de niǔ niǔ niē niē, hěn bú zì zài.
    She appears very shy and hesitant in front of strangers, very uncomfortable.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

扭扭
扭niǔtwist扭niǔtwist
捏捏
捏niēpinch捏niēpinch

扭 and 捏 are repeated to paint a shy, mincing manner.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丑
丑chǒu扭niǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扭 has 手 (hand) beside 丑. The 手 part shows that the meaning involves a hand action, and 丑 gives the sound.

Open 扭 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丑
丑chǒu扭niǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扭 has 手 (hand) beside 丑. The 手 part shows that the meaning involves a hand action, and 丑 gives the sound.

Open 扭 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
涅
涅niè捏niē
Same sound today

In 捏, the left part 扌 is a hand, showing that the meaning involves using the fingers, while the right part 涅 gives the sound niè.

Open 捏 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
涅
涅niè捏niē
Same sound today

In 捏, the left part 扌 is a hand, showing that the meaning involves using the fingers, while the right part 涅 gives the sound niè.

Open 捏 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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