撩 (liāo) - To tease, provoke, stir up & to lift up (as with a curtain)

撩Tone 1

liāo ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

梁嘹

撩 · liāo

To tease, provoke, stir up;

to lift up (as with a curtain);

to incite or arouse (emotions);

to flirt with.

To tease, provoke, stir upto lift up (as with a curtain)to incite or arouse (emotions)

Usage highlights

Tease or provokeFlirt withLift upStir up emotionsProvoke a fightFlirtatious talk

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He likes to tease his classmates (撩同学).
  • She lifted the curtain to look outside (撩起窗帘).
  • His words stirred up her emotions (撩动了她的心).
  • Don't provoke the dog (别撩那只狗).

Collocations

  • Tease or provoke(撩拨)
  • Flirt with(撩妹)
  • Lift up(撩起)
  • Stir up emotions(撩动心弦)
  • Provoke a fight(撩架)
  • Flirtatious talk(撩骚)

Idioms

  • Stirring up spring feelings(撩动春心)
  • Teasing and provoking(撩蜂剔蝎)
  • Lifting the hair and examining the temples(撩发剔鬓)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In modern Chinese internet slang, 撩 has gained popularity in terms like 撩妹 (flirting with girls) and 撩汉 (flirting with guys), describing playful, teasing romantic advances.
  • The character originally meant 'to arrange, put in order' or 'to lift up', with the 'teasing' sense being a later semantic extension.
  • In classical contexts, 撩 could mean to provoke or stir up trouble, often with negative connotations.

FAQ