唬 (hǔ) — (coll.) to bluff, to scare, to frighten; (literary, of a tiger) to roar
Definition
唬 (hǔ) is the colloquial verb for 'to bluff or scare someone' (e.g. 唬人). The literary sense 'a tiger roars' is rare and limited to classical-style writing.
verb
(coll.) to bluffto scareto frighten(literary, of a tiger) to roar
Examples
- 唬，。Nǐ bié hǔ wǒ, wǒ zǎo jiù zhī dào zhēn xiàng le.Don't bluff me — I already know the truth.
- 唬。Tā suí biàn shuō le jù huà jiù bǎ dà jiā dōu hǔ zhù le.He bluffed everyone with just a casual remark.
- 唬。Měng hǔ hǔ yú shān lín.The fierce tiger roared in the mountain forest.
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.
唬 puts 口 (mouth) beside 虎 (tiger), with 口 carrying the sense and 虎 giving the sound.
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