狠毒 (hěn dú) — vicious, venomous, malicious

Definition

adjective

viciousvenomousmalicious

狠毒。
Zhè ge rén de xīn cháng fēi cháng hěn dú.
This person has a very vicious heart.
狠毒。
Tā yòng le hěn dú de shǒu duàn lái dá dào mù dì.
He used vicious methods to achieve his goals.
狠毒。
Diàn yǐng lǐ de fǎn pài jué sè shí fēn hěn dú.
The villain in the movie is extremely malicious.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

毒dúpoisonous

狠 and 毒 combine, both expressing cruel, poisonous qualities.

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.

犭艮狠

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎn

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

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

In 狠, the left part 犭 is a shortened form of 犬; the right part 艮 gives the sound.

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

屮屮chèvegetation

Sound part声符shēngfú

毐

毐ǎi毒dú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

毒 pairs 屮, a plant part, with 毐 as a sound part; this form was used for a poisonous plant.

Appears in