狠 (hěn) — (adjective) ruthless, fierce, ferocious, determined; (verb) to harden (one's heart); to be strict or harsh with (someone, oneself); (adverb) fiercely, severely (modifies a verb to intensify the action)
Definition
Conveys fierce, ruthless intensity — as an adjective it describes a person or action, and as an adverb it intensifies a verb (狠训 = scold severely). Stronger and harsher than 残忍/无情, which describe a cold disposition rather than forceful action.
adjective
ruthlessfierceferociousdetermined
verb
to harden (one's heart)to be strict or harsh with (someone, oneself)
adverb
fiercelyseverely (modifies a verb to intensify the action)
Examples
- 狠。Tā hěn xià xīn lái lí kāi le jiā.He hardened his heart and left home.
- 狠。Jiào liàn hěn xùn le duì yuán yí dùn.The coach severely scolded the team members.
- 狠。Tā shì gè hěn jué sè.He is a ruthless character.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
In 狠, the left part 犭 is a shortened form of 犬; the right part 艮 gives the sound.
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