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诈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
诈
zhà
to cheat
HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #13144, Very Hard
诈
zhà
to swindle
HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #13144, Very Hard
诈
zhà
to pretend
HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #13144, Very Hard
诈
zhà
to feign
HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #13144, Very Hard
诈
zhà
to draw sb out
HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #13144, Very Hard
诈
zhà
to try to extract information by deceit or bluff
HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #13144, Very Hard
诈
zhà
to cheat, to defraud; sly, treacherous
HSK 7, v, 7 strokes, radical 讠, rank #13144, Very Hard
zhà(zha4)zha T4
1to cheat
2to swindle
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
诈(詐)zhà(zha4)
The character 诈 (zhà) means to cheat or swindle, often involving deceitful tactics to extract information or gain something from someone. It can also imply pretending or feigning, and is commonly used in contexts involving trickery or fraud.
Strokes7Radical讠Frequency#13144DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of deception is often linked to traditional stories and proverbs that caution against being overly trusting. The idea of a 'trickster' character is prevalent in folklore, reflecting societal views on honesty.
Memory tip
Imagine a sly fox (the radical '诈' resembles a fox) cunningly deceiving a farmer by pretending to be a harmless rabbit. This imagery connects the shape of the character to its meaning of deception and the sound 'zhà' to the idea of a sudden trick or bluff.
Meanings of 诈
zhà(zha4)
1to cheat
2to swindle
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 诈 means.
About 诈
诈Simplified
詐Traditional
7Strokes
讠Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#13144Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7
Podcast: 诈
Podcast: 诈
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AI study notes for 诈
Quick Contrast
诈 (zhà) vs 欺 (qī) — use 诈 when emphasizing deceitful tactics specifically for swindling, while 欺 focuses more broadly on deceiving or misleading.
Usage Notes
Be cautious of the context in which you use 诈, as it has negative connotations and is typically informal. Common collocations include 诈欺 (zhàqī - to cheat) and 诈唬 (zhàhǔ - to bluff). Avoid using this term in formal situations as it may seem disrespectful.
HSK Study Tips
While 诈 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it relates to other terms about honesty and deception, such as 骗 (piàn - to deceive) and 欺骗 (qīpiàn - to trick). Focus on recognizing its usage in phrases and understanding its nuances in conversation.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 诈 with 诈欺 (zhàqī) thinking they can use them interchangeably, but 诈 is the broader term for deceit while 诈欺 specifically refers to cheating. Always ensure you're using the appropriate term based on the context.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 诈
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How well do you know 诈?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 诈 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
诈 = 讠 + 乍. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 诈
IDS Structure⿰讠乍
诈Full character
=
讠yan2
left
乍zha4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 诈?
How to say to cheat in Chinese
“to cheat” in Chinese is诈zhà
The character 诈 (zhà) means to cheat or swindle, often involving deceitful tactics to extract information or gain something from someone. It can also imply pretending or feigning, and is commonly used in contexts involving trickery or fraud.
When to use 诈
Be cautious of the context in which you use 诈, as it has negative connotations and is typically informal. Common collocations include 诈欺 (zhàqī - to cheat) and 诈唬 (zhàhǔ - to bluff). Avoid using this term in formal situations as it may seem disrespectful.
诈 or something close to it
诈 (zhà) vs 欺 (qī) — use 诈 when emphasizing deceitful tactics specifically for swindling, while 欺 focuses more broadly on deceiving or misleading.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 诈 with 诈欺 (zhàqī) thinking they can use them interchangeably, but 诈 is the broader term for deceit while 诈欺 specifically refers to cheating. Always ensure you're using the appropriate term based on the context.
Write 诈
诈
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Practice writing 诈 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 诈
诈 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
关键问题是4名被告是否存在欺____行为。
The key issue was whether the four defendants acted dishonestly.
