Definition
捏 (niē) has three main senses: (1) pinch between thumb and finger (contrast 掐 qiā for a sharper nip, 拧 níng for twist-pinch); (2) mold clay/dough with fingers (contrast 塑造 sù zào, more formal and figurative); (3) fabricate a story (unique to 捏).
verb
to pinchto hold between the thumb and fingersto mold (clay, dough) with the fingersto fabricate (a story, report)to make up
Easily confused
- 挂guàlook-aliketo hang; to hang up (a phone)
Examples
- 捏。Tā qīngqīng de niē le yíxià wǒ de gēbo.She gently gave my arm a pinch.
- 捏。Háizimen yòng cǎi ní niē chū gèzhǒng xíngzhuàng.The children used colored clay to mold all kinds of shapes.
- 。Nǐ búyào niē zào shìshí.Don't fabricate the facts.
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