诱 (yòu) — (bound form) to lure, to entice, to seduce (often with a negative connotation); (bound form) to induce, to guide, to lead (neutral or positive)
Definition
诱 (yòu) is a bound morpheme meaning 'to lure / tempt / induce' — almost always combined with a suffix like 惑 (诱惑), 导 (诱导), or 饵 (诱饵). The compound's connotation can be negative (seduce) or neutral (guide) depending on the suffix.
bound form
to lureto enticeto seduce (often with a negative connotation)to induceto guideto lead (neutral or positive)
Examples
- 。Zhè zhǒng měi shí duì wǒ hěn yǒu yòu huò lì.This kind of food is very tempting to me.
- 。Lǎo shī yòng tí wèn de fāng shì yòu dǎo xué shēng sī kǎo.The teacher used questions to guide students to think.
- 。Tā yòng jīn qián zuò wéi yòu ěr lái xī yǐn tóu zī.He used money as bait to attract investment.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 誘; 诱 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 誘 pairs 言 (word, language) with 秀, which supplies the sound.
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