unknown, 8 strokes, radical 讠, rank #39190, Very Hard
guǐ(gui3) T3
1to cheat, to defraud; sly, treacherous
2crafty
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March 24, 2026
诡(詭)guǐ(gui3)
The character 诡 (guǐ) refers to actions or behaviors that are deceitful or crafty. It can describe a person who is sly or treacherous, often used in contexts of trickery or fraud. The word conveys a sense of cunning and is commonly associated with negative connotations.
Strokes8Radical讠Frequency#39190DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese folklore, characters associated with 诡 often appear in stories about cunning villains or tricksters, reflecting a cultural caution against deceitful behavior. This mirrors the moral lessons found in many traditional tales.
Memory Tip
Imagine a sneaky fox (the character's shape has curves like a fox's tail) that tricks other animals in the forest. The sound 'guǐ' can be remembered as the sly fox whispering secrets to others, illustrating both the form and meaning of the character.
Meanings of 诡
guǐ(gui3)
1to cheat, to defraud; sly, treacherous
2crafty
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 诡
诡Simplified
詭Traditional
8Strokes
讠Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 诡
Podcast: 诡
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AI Study Notes for 诡
Quick Contrast
狡 (jiǎo) — use 诡 (guǐ) to emphasize deceitfulness in actions, while 狡 (jiǎo) focuses more on cleverness or craftiness in a neutral context.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 诡 (guǐ) with the more neutral term for 'clever' or 'intelligent'. It is generally used in negative contexts, so it’s important to consider the situation when using it. Common collocations include 诡计 (guǐjì, trick or scheme) and 诡诈 (guǐzhà, deceit).
HSK Study Tips
While 诡 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it provides a good example of characters that denote cunning or deceit. Students should focus on its usage in idiomatic expressions and recognize its negative connotations to avoid misunderstandings.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 诡 in a neutral context, thinking it means simply 'clever'. A correct usage would be: '他的计划很诡计' (His plan is very deceitful), rather than '他的计划很聪明' (His plan is very clever).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 诡
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Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 危 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詭.
1The meaning half讠 carries the sense.
2The sound half危 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayspeech
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 诡? 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 诡?
Decomposition of 诡
IDS Structure⿰讠危
诡Full Character
=
讠yan2
left
危Wei1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 诡?
How to say to cheat, to defraud; sly, treacherous in Chinese
“to cheat, to defraud; sly, treacherous” in Chinese is诡guǐ
The character 诡 (guǐ) refers to actions or behaviors that are deceitful or crafty. It can describe a person who is sly or treacherous, often used in contexts of trickery or fraud. The word conveys a sense of cunning and is commonly associated with negative connotations.
When to use 诡
Be careful not to confuse 诡 (guǐ) with the more neutral term for 'clever' or 'intelligent'. It is generally used in negative contexts, so it’s important to consider the situation when using it. Common collocations include 诡计 (guǐjì, trick or scheme) and 诡诈 (guǐzhà, deceit).
诡 or something close to it
狡 (jiǎo) — use 诡 (guǐ) to emphasize deceitfulness in actions, while 狡 (jiǎo) focuses more on cleverness or craftiness in a neutral context.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 诡 in a neutral context, thinking it means simply 'clever'. A correct usage would be: '他的计划很诡计' (His plan is very deceitful), rather than '他的计划很聪明' (His plan is very clever).
Write 诡
诡
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Practice writing 诡 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 诡
诡 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
国务卿已被那些____辩之词给说服了。
The Secretary of State has given in to special pleading.
