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搅动 (jiǎo dòng) — to stir, to mix (a liquid or substance); to disturb, to agitate (emotions, situations, public opinion)

Definition

Literary verb for 'stir up / agitate' — a liquid, a situation, or emotions (情绪, 气氛). More formal than the everyday 搅拌 (mixing), and broader because it covers stirring up feelings or public opinion, not just mixing substances.

verb
to stirto mix (a liquid or substance)to disturbto agitate (emotions, situations, public opinion)

Examples

  • 搅动。
    Tā bǎ niú nǎi jiǎo dòng jūn yún le.
    He stirred the milk evenly.
  • 搅动。
    Nà fān huà jiǎo dòng le zhěng gè huì yì shì de qì fen.
    That speech disturbed the atmosphere of the entire meeting room.
  • 搅动。
    Zhè cì shì jiàn jiǎo dòng le mín zhòng de qíng xù.
    This incident roused the public's emotions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

搅jiǎostir
动dòngmove

'搅' (stir) plus '动' (move) means to stir something into motion.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 攪; 搅 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
覺
覺jué攪jiǎo
Same sound today

The traditional form 攪 uses 扌 (hand) to show the action and 覺 for its sound; the simplified 搅 is a later shorthand.

Open 搅 →

Most 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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
Appears in
Change & ProcessCooking

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