Definition
挑 (tiǎo) is a versatile verb meaning 'to lift/raise' (with a pole or stick), 'to provoke/incite', or 'to find fault'. It differs from 扬 (yáng) 'to raise' (more general, often for scattering or spreading) and 拎 (līn) 'to carry by hand/handle'. For inciting, 挑 is stronger than 怂恿 (sǒng yǒng) 'to urge someone to do something unwise'.
verb
to lift upto raise (挑帘子 'lift a curtain')to provoketo inciteto stir up (used in 挑衅, 挑战, 挑拨)to find faultto point out (挑刺, 挑毛病)
Easily confused
- 跳tiàolook-aliketo jump; to hop; to bounce; to skip over
- 条tiáosound-alike(classifier) used for long, thin objects (rivers, roads, trousers, fish, etc.)
- 桃táolook-alikepeach
- 调tiáosound-aliketo adjust, to tune (a device, instrument, etc.)
- 逃táolook-aliketo escape; to flee; to run away
Examples
- 。Tā yòng mùbàng tiǎo qǐ le liánzi.He lifted the curtain with a wooden stick.
- 。Bú yào gùyì tiǎo qǐ zhēngduān.Don't deliberately stir up disputes.
- 挑。Tā zǒng ài tiǎo biérén de máobìng.He always likes to find fault with others.
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