TongTong
Sign in

操纵 (cāo zòng) — to operate; to control (a machine, device, system); to manipulate; to rig (a market, election, situation, etc.)

Definition

操纵 (cāozòng) covers both 'to operate/control' a machine and 'to manipulate/rig' a process — the second sense is usually negative (rigging elections, swaying people). Versus 操作, which is neutral and limited to running a device or system.

verb
to operateto control (a machine, device, system)to manipulateto rig (a market, election, situation, etc.)

Examples

  • 操纵。
    Tā shú liàn de cāo zòng zhe zhè tái xīn jī qì.
    He skillfully operates this new machine.
  • 操纵。
    Dà gōng sī jīng cháng lì yòng guǎng gào cāo zòng xiāo fèi zhě de xuǎn zé.
    Big companies often use advertising to manipulate consumers' choices.
  • 操纵。
    Yǒu rén shì tú cāo zòng zhè cì xuǎn jǔ de jié guǒ.
    Someone tried to rig the outcome of this election.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

操cāohandle
纵zòngcontrol

"操" handle and "纵" control combine to mean operate or manipulate.

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shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
喿
喿zào操cāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 手 shows a hand, indicating an action done by hand. The right part 喿 gives the sound.

Open 操 →

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 縱; 纵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
從
從cóng縱zòng
Same sound today

The traditional form 縱 pairs the 糸 part with 從 as a sound part; the simplified 纵 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 纵 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Technology & Engineering5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.