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) 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
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
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
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
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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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Phonosemantic compound. 讠 represents the meaning and 乍 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詐.
1The meaning half讠 carries the sense.
2The sound half乍 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 诈? 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 诈?
Decomposition of 诈
IDS Structure⿰讠乍
诈Full Character
=
讠yan2
left
乍zha4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component 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
Complete the Sentence
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.
