TongTong
Sign in

使坏 (shǐ huài) — to play a dirty trick; to do something malicious behind someone's back

Definition

使坏 means to play a dirty trick or do something malicious behind someone's back — usually covertly, not openly. 比 伤害 (shānghài, 'to hurt/harm') more sneaky; 比 破坏 (pòhuài, 'to destroy') less about physical damage.

verb
to play a dirty trickto do something malicious behind someone's back

Examples

  • 使坏。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan zài bèi hòu duì bié rén shǐ huài.
    He always likes to play dirty tricks on others behind their backs.
  • 。
    Zhè cì hé zuò bié xiǎng duì wǒ shǐ shén me huài.
    Don't think you can pull any tricks on me in this cooperation.
  • ，。
    Tā zhī dào zì jǐ bèi rén shǐ le huài, fēi cháng shēng qì.
    She was very angry knowing that someone had played a dirty trick on her.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

使shǐdo/use
坏huàibad

使 “do/use” + 坏 “bad” = doing bad things behind someone's back.

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
吏
吏lì使shǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.

Open 使 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 壞; 坏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái壞huài
Same sound today

For the traditional form 壞, 土 (earth) is the meaning part and 褱 supplies the sound; earth is used because something that rots eventually becomes earth. This is about 壞, not the simplified 坏.

Open 坏 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.