TongTong
Sign in

陷阱 (xiàn jǐng) — trap, pitfall, snare

Definition

陷阱 is a noun for a physical or figurative 'trap/pitfall' — distinguish from the verb 套 ('to trap someone' by drawing them in) and 圈套, which is more like a scheme or con.

noun
trappitfallsnare
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 陷阱，。
    Liè rén shè le yí gè xiàn jǐng, zhǔn bèi zhuā yě zhū.
    The hunter set a trap to catch a wild boar.
  • ，陷阱。
    Zhè ge tóu zī tīng qǐ lái tài hǎo, kě néng shì xiàn jǐng.
    This investment sounds too good — it might be a pitfall.
  • 陷阱。
    Zhí chǎng zhōng yào xiǎo xīn rén jì guān xì de xiàn jǐng.
    In the workplace, be careful of pitfalls in interpersonal relationships.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

陷xiànpitfall
阱jǐngsnare

陷 and 阱 both refer to a pit or snare, so the word means a trap.

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
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
臽
臽xiàn陷xiàn
Same sound today

In 陷, the older form 臽 pictured falling into a trap; 阜 was added later to differentiate it.

Open 陷 →

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
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng阱jǐng
Same sound today

阱 is built from 阜, which contributes the meaning, and 井, which gives the sound.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Safety & Danger5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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