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狯 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
狯kuàisly, cunning, craftyzg, 9 strokes, radical 犭
kuài(kuai4) T4
  1. 1sly, cunning, crafty
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

狯(獪)kuài(kuai4)

The character 狯 (kuài) means sly, cunning, or crafty. It describes someone who is clever in a deceitful way, often using trickery to achieve their goals. Common usage contexts include describing people, actions, or strategies that are clever but not straightforward.

Strokes9Radical犭
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, cunning behavior is often viewed negatively, associated with trickery or manipulation. Literature and folklore frequently highlight the consequences of being too crafty, teaching moral lessons about honesty.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sly fox (the character's radical '犭' represents animals) outsmarting a hunter. This cunning fox is quick ('快' sounds like 'kuài') in its actions, using its wits to survive. Visualize this fox to remember that 狯 means crafty.

Meanings of 狯

kuài(kuai4)
1sly, cunning, crafty
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 狯

狯Simplified
獪Traditional
9Strokes
犭Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 狯

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Podcast: 狯

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 狯

Quick Contrast

狡 (jiǎo) - use 狯 (kuài) for a focus on cunning with a hint of deceit, while 狡 (jiǎo) emphasizes craftiness or slyness but may not always imply deceit.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 狯 with similar-sounding words. This term is more formal and can carry negative connotations, so it’s important to use it in contexts where cunning or deceit is implied. Common collocations include 狯计 (kuàijì - crafty scheme) and 狯诈 (kuàizhà - cunning deception).

HSK Study Tips

Although 狯 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it can be helpful to connect it with HSK Level 4 words like 聪明 (cōngmíng - clever) or 机智 (jīzhì - witty). Focus on the nuance of cunning versus straightforward cleverness.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 狯 with its synonyms and use it incorrectly in positive contexts. For example, saying '他的狯聪明' (His cunning is clever) is incorrect; it should be '他的聪明' (His cleverness).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 狯

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Etymology of 狯

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

dog

Semantic (meaning)犭
+
Phonetic (sound)会
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 狯

  1. 1The meaning half犭 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half会 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaydog
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 狯? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 狯?

Decomposition of 狯

IDS Structure⿰犭会
狯Full Character
=
犭quan3
left
会hui4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 狯?

How to say sly, cunning, crafty in Chinese

“sly, cunning, crafty” in Chinese is狯kuài

The character 狯 (kuài) means sly, cunning, or crafty. It describes someone who is clever in a deceitful way, often using trickery to achieve their goals. Common usage contexts include describing people, actions, or strategies that are clever but not straightforward.

When to use 狯

Be careful not to confuse 狯 with similar-sounding words. This term is more formal and can carry negative connotations, so it’s important to use it in contexts where cunning or deceit is implied. Common collocations include 狯计 (kuàijì - crafty scheme) and 狯诈 (kuàizhà - cunning deception).

狯 or something close to it

狡 (jiǎo) - use 狯 (kuài) for a focus on cunning with a hint of deceit, while 狡 (jiǎo) emphasizes craftiness or slyness but may not always imply deceit.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 狯 with its synonyms and use it incorrectly in positive contexts. For example, saying '他的狯聪明' (His cunning is clever) is incorrect; it should be '他的聪明' (His cleverness).

Write 狯

狯

Practice writing 狯 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 狯

Words Containing This Character1
狯kuàicrafty獪
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 狯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 狯

While 狯 implies cleverness with a deceitful connotation, 聪明 simply means intelligent or smart without any negative implications.

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