挠 (náo) — to scratch (with fingernails); to thwart, to obstruct; to bend, to yield (in literary/phrasal use, e.g. 不屈不挠)
Definition
挠 (náo) means to scratch with the fingernails (an itch); its 'thwart/yield' sense lives mostly in literary phrases like 不屈不挠. To scratch an itch specifically, 抓 is more common; 擦 is for wiping with a cloth, not scratching.
verb
to scratch (with fingernails)to thwartto obstructto bendto yield (in literary/phrasal use, e.g. 不屈不挠)
Examples
- ，挠。Wén zi yǎo de bāo hěn yǎng, bié yì zhí náo.The mosquito bite is very itchy, don't keep scratching it.
- ，挠。Dà jiā qí xīn xié lì, méi yǒu rén néng náo luàn wǒ men de jì huà.We are united — no one can thwart our plans.
- ，。Tā miàn duì kùn nan cóng bù qū fú, zhēn shì bù qū bù náo de jīng shén.He never yields in the face of difficulties — truly an indomitable spirit.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 撓; 挠 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
堯
堯yáo撓náo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 撓 pairs 扌 (hand) with 堯 to give the sound; the simplified 挠 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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