(niǔ) - to twist & to turn

Tone 3

niǔ | 7 strokes | radical: 扌

· niǔ

to twist;

to turn;

to wrench;

to sprain;

to distort;

to wring;

to grapple with

to twistto turnto wrench

Usage highlights

twistsprainturn aroundwrestledistortwring

Synonyms

  • to twist; to screw
  • to turn; to rotate
  • to bend; to curve

Antonyms

  • straight; direct
  • upright; correct

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He twisted his ankle (扭伤脚踝).
  • She turned the doorknob (扭动门把手).
  • The dancer twisted her body (扭动身体).
  • They wrestled with the problem (扭打问题).

Collocations

  • twist(扭动)
  • sprain(扭伤)
  • turn around(扭转)
  • wrestle(扭打)
  • distort(扭曲)
  • wring(扭干)

Idioms

  • To turn the tide(扭转乾坤)
  • To twist and turn(扭扭捏捏)
  • To distort the facts(扭曲事实)
  • To sprain one's waist(扭了腰)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character combines the hand radical (扌) with 丑, suggesting manual twisting or turning actions.
  • In Chinese martial arts, '扭' refers to grappling and joint-locking techniques.
  • The character conveys a sense of physical manipulation and sometimes emotional or situational distortion.

FAQ