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诡计多端 (guǐ jì duō duān) — (idiom) full of craft and cunning; deceitful in many ways

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'full of cunning schemes' — strongly negative, describing a person with many tricks and plots. Used for villains, schemers, or treacherous figures, not mild mischief.

idiom
full of craft and cunningdeceitful in many ways

Examples

  • 诡计多端，。
    Zhè ge fǎn pài guǐ jì duō duān, guān zhòng dōu hèn tā.
    This villain is full of cunning tricks; the audience all hate him.
  • 诡计多端，。
    Tā guǐ jì duō duān, nǐ qiān wàn yào xiǎo xīn.
    He's extremely deceitful — you must be very careful.
  • 诡计多端。
    Xiǎo shuō lǐ nà ge guǐ jì duō duān de jiān chén zuì zhōng shòu dào le chéng fá.
    In the novel, that treacherous minister full of cunning schemes was finally punished.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

诡计cunning schemes
诡guǐcunning计jìscheme
偏正Modifier + head
多端many ways
多duōmany端duānway
偏正Modifier + head

诡计 means cunning schemes, and 多端 says they have many ways, describing someone full of tricks.

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 詭; 诡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
危
危wēi詭guǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詭 pairs 言 (say) with 危 as a sound part; the simplified 诡 is a later abbreviation.

Open 诡 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 計; 计 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 計 pairs 言 (say) with 十 (all). The simplified 计 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical shape.

Open 计 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

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
立立lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
耑
耑zhuān端duān
Same sound today

端 is made by putting 立 beside 耑. The 立 part is connected to the meaning, and 耑 gives the sound.

Open 端 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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