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教唆 (jiào suō) — to instigate, to abet, to incite (someone to do something wrong or illegal)

Definition

A formal, legal term meaning 'to instigate or incite' someone else to commit a crime or wrongdoing — the person being urged does the act, while 教唆 names the person who prompted them. In Chinese law it is itself an offense.

verb
to instigateto abetto incite (someone to do something wrong or illegal)

Examples

  • 教唆，。
    Tā jiào suō wèi chéng nián rén fàn zuì, bèi jǐng chá zhuā zǒu le.
    He instigated minors to commit crimes and was arrested by the police.
  • 教唆，。
    Bié zài jiào suō bié rén qù zuò huài shì le, zhè shì wéi fǎ de.
    Stop instigating others to do bad things — it's illegal.
  • 教唆。
    Tā shì bèi jiào suō cái qù qiǎng yín háng de.
    He robbed the bank only because someone instigated him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

教jiàoinstruct
唆suōurge

教 means instruct and 唆 means urge; together they describe leading someone into wrongdoing.

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
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
夋
夋qūn唆suō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 口 shows a mouth, and the right part 夋 was chosen for its sound.

Open 唆 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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