歹 (dǎi) - bad, evil, wicked & vicious

歹Tone 3

dǎi ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 歹

橙丁

歹 · dǎi

bad, evil, wicked;

vicious;

calamity;

the 'death' or 'bad' radical in Chinese characters

bad, evil, wickedviciouscalamity

Usage highlights

villainevil intentionwicked personevil thoughtgood and evilmalicious scheme

Synonyms

  • 恶— evil, wicked
  • 坏— bad
  • 凶— fierce, vicious

Antonyms

  • 好— good
  • 善— kind, virtuous

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He harbors evil intentions (歹意).
  • This is a wicked person (歹人).
  • The villain committed a crime (歹徒犯罪).
  • Don't have evil thoughts (莫存歹念).

Collocations

  • villain(歹徒)
  • evil intention(歹意)
  • wicked person(歹人)
  • evil thought(歹念)
  • good and evil(好歹)
  • malicious scheme(歹计)

Idioms

  • Good and bad, for better or worse(好歹)
  • Unable to distinguish good from bad(好歹不分)
  • Know what's good for you(不知好歹)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • As a radical, 歹 often appears in characters related to death, danger, or negative concepts (e.g., 死, 残, 殡).
  • In traditional Chinese philosophy, it represents the opposite of good (好), forming the concept of 'good and bad' (好歹).
  • The character originally depicted broken bones, symbolizing misfortune and danger.

FAQ