TongTong
Sign in

可疑 (kě yí) — suspicious; dubious

Definition

可疑 describes a person, thing, or situation that arouses suspicion — 'suspicious, dubious'. 暧昧 focuses on ambiguity or shady relationships; 蹊跷 stresses something being odd or off. 可疑 is more neutral and common.

adjective
suspiciousdubious

Examples

  • 可疑。
    Zhè ge bāo guǒ kàn qǐ lái fēi cháng kě yí.
    This package looks very suspicious.
  • ，可疑。
    Tā de huí dá qián hòu máo dùn, shí fēn kě yí.
    His answers are contradictory and highly suspicious.
  • 可疑。
    Jǐng fāng rèn wéi zhè xiē jiāo yì yǒu kě yí zhī chù.
    The police believe there is something dubious about these transactions.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

可kěcan
疑yídoubt

可 means can and 疑 means doubt, together giving suspicious.

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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

  • 大大dàstanding human figure
  • 夂夂zhǐtilted head with open mouth
  • 丨丨gǔncane

疑 depicts a standing figure 大 with a tilted, open-mouthed head 夂 and a cane 丨, a confused person looking around for direction.

Open 疑 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Attitudes & Opinions5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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