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闹事 (nào shì) — to cause trouble, to create a disturbance

Definition

A verb meaning to start a public disturbance or make trouble (often drunk, angry, or with hostile intent). Focuses on the deliberate act itself, unlike 捣乱 which emphasizes causing disruption, or 骚乱 which implies a larger riot.

verb
to cause troubleto create a disturbance

Examples

  • 闹事。
    Nà xiē rén hē zuì le jiù zài jiē shàng nào shì.
    Those people got drunk and started causing trouble on the street.
  • ，。
    Tā yǐ qián zài dān wèi nào guò shì, bèi kāi chú le.
    He previously caused trouble at work and got fired.
  • 闹事。
    Jǐng chá zǔ zhǐ le nà xiē xiǎng nào shì de rén.
    The police stopped those who wanted to cause trouble.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

闹nàocause trouble
事shìmatter

闹 causes trouble and 事 is matters: to make a disturbance.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鬧; 闹 is its simplified writing.

  • 鬥鬥dòuto fight
  • 市市shìmarket; town

The traditional form 鬧 combines 鬥 (to fight) and 市 (market; town) to mean noisy.

Open 闹 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Crime & Police

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