扣帽子 (kòu mào zi) — to label someone unfairly, to stigmatize someone with a crime or offense

Definition

An idiom meaning to slap an unfair label on someone (e.g. calling them a criminal or traitor without proof). Often used to warn against this in political or moral arguments.

verb
to label someone unfairly, to stigmatize someone with a crime or offense

Examples

  • 扣帽子。
    Bié suí biàn gěi bié rén kòu mào zi.
    Don't casually label others.
  • 。
    Tā bèi rén kòu le yì dǐng dà mào zi.
    He was pinned with a big label.
  • 扣帽子。
    Tǎo lùn wèn tí de shí hou bú yào hù xiāng kòu mào zi.
    When discussing issues, don't label each other.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

扣kòuput on
帽子hat
帽màohat子zǐ
后缀Suffix

扣 means to put on, and 帽子 is a hat, so the word pictures putting a label on someone.

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
口
口kǒu扣kòu
Same sound today

扣 puts 手 (hand) beside 口 (mouth); 口 gives the sound, while 手 shows it is about a hand action.

Open 扣 →

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
冒
冒mào帽mào
Same sound today

帽 uses 巾 (cloth) for the meaning and 冒 for the sound. The earlier form 冃 was later written with 目 and 巾 added.

Open 帽 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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