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操控 (cāo kòng) — to control (a machine, system, or situation); to manipulate (people or events, often with negative intent)

Definition

操控 blends 操作 ('operate') and 控制 ('control') and usually carries a negative sense of pulling strings behind the scenes — more manipulative than 控制, and more sinister than 操作.

verb
to control (a machine, system, or situation)to manipulate (people or events, often with negative intent)

Examples

  • 操控。
    Tā shàn yú cāo kòng fù zá de jī qì.
    He is good at operating complex machines.
  • 操控。
    Gōng sī gāo céng cháng cháng cāo kòng shì chǎng jià gé.
    Top management often manipulates market prices.
  • 操控。
    Bié shì tú cāo kòng bié rén de xiǎng fǎ.
    Don't try to manipulate other people's thoughts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

操cāomanage
控kòngcontrol

"操" manage and "控" control together mean to control or manipulate.

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
喿
喿zào操cāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 手 shows a hand, indicating an action done by hand. The right part 喿 gives the sound.

Open 操 →

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shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
空
空kōng控kòng
Same sound today

The left part is 手 written as 扌, showing a hand; the right part 空 gives the sound.

Open 控 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract ConceptsManagement

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