诈 (zhà) - to cheat & to swindle

诈Tone 4

zhà ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 讠

悦丈

诈 · zhà

to cheat;

to swindle;

to pretend;

to feign;

crafty;

deceitful

to cheatto swindleto pretend

Usage highlights

frauddeceptionextortionpretend to be deadfeign surrendercounterfeit

Synonyms

  • 骗— to cheat, to deceive
  • 欺— to bully, to cheat
  • 伪— false, fake

Antonyms

  • 诚— sincere, honest
  • 实— real, true
  • 真— genuine, true

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was accused of fraud (诈骗).
  • The child pretended to be sick (诈病).
  • The army used a feigned retreat (诈退).
  • This is extortion (敲诈).

Collocations

  • fraud(诈骗)
  • deception(欺诈)
  • extortion(敲诈)
  • pretend to be dead(诈死)
  • feign surrender(诈降)
  • counterfeit(诈伪)

Idioms

  • Cunning and deceitful(尔虞我诈)
  • Feign ignorance(诈痴不颠)
  • Pretend to be mad(诈疯魔)
  • Military deception(兵不厌诈)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, '诈' is strongly associated with negative moral qualities and is condemned in Confucian ethics.
  • The character appears in military strategy texts where deception is sometimes justified (e.g., 兵不厌诈 - all warfare is based on deception).
  • In legal contexts, 诈骗 constitutes a serious criminal offense in modern Chinese law.

FAQ