讎 (chóu) - Enemy, adversary & to feud, to oppose

讎Tone 2

chóu ｜ 23 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

讎 · chóu

Enemy, adversary;

to feud, to oppose;

to match, to correspond;

to vend, to sell;

to retaliate, to repay.

Enemy, adversaryto feud, to opposeto match, to correspond

Usage highlights

EnemyDeepPersonal enmityTo take revengeEnemy countryTo vend, to sell

Synonyms

  • 仇— enemy, hatred (common simplified/variant form)
  • 敵— enemy, foe
  • 恨— hatred, resentment

Antonyms

  • 友— friend
  • 恩— favor, kindness
  • 愛— love

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • They have been enemies for generations (世仇).
  • The two families have a long-standing feud (家族仇怨).
  • He sought revenge for his father (报父仇).
  • The price was very high (价高仇).

Collocations

  • Enemy(仇敌)
  • Deep-seated hatred(深仇大恨)
  • Personal enmity(私仇)
  • To take revenge(报仇)
  • Enemy country(仇国)
  • To vend, to sell(仇售)

Idioms

  • Deep hatred and great enmity(深仇大恨)
  • Gratitude and resentment are clearly distinguished(恩仇分明)
  • To regard as an enemy(视如寇仇)
  • To avenge a grievance and wipe out a humiliation(报仇雪耻)
  • Enemies often cross paths(仇人相见，分外眼红)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 讎 originally depicted two birds facing each other, symbolizing confrontation or response.
  • In traditional Chinese culture, concepts of revenge and feud (报仇) are significant themes in literature and ethics.
  • The character also carries the meaning of 'matching' or 'corresponding', as seen in its use in the word 校讎 (collation).

FAQ