碴 (chá) - Fragment, splinter & sharp edge

碴Tone 2

chá ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

碴 · chá

Fragment, splinter;

sharp edge;

quarrel;

pretext;

to pick a quarrel.

Fragment, splintersharp edgequarrel

Usage highlights

Glass fragmentIce fragmentPick a quarrelAnswer back defiantlySharp edgePottery shard

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He got a glass splinter in his finger (玻璃碴).
  • Watch out for sharp edges on the broken plate (盘子有碴).
  • They're looking for a pretext to start a fight (找碴儿).
  • Don't pick a quarrel over nothing (别没事找碴).

Collocations

  • Glass fragment(玻璃碴)
  • Ice fragment(冰碴)
  • Pick a quarrel(找碴儿)
  • Answer back defiantly(顶碴)
  • Sharp edge(有碴)
  • Pottery shard(瓦碴)

Idioms

  • Looking for trouble(没事找碴)
  • Answer back defiantly(顶碴子上)
  • Pick a quarrel(找碴打架)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Commonly used in northern Chinese dialects, particularly Beijing dialect, with the 'erhua' form 碴儿.
  • The character combines the 'stone' radical with the phonetic component 查, suggesting hard, sharp fragments.
  • In social contexts, '找碴' reflects a cultural awareness of intentional provocation and conflict avoidance.

FAQ