唬 hǔ to intimidate
to intimidate; to scare
怎么记住“唬”: 口 mouth + 虎 tiger = to intimidate. Painted as a tiger for the fair, my little brother opens his mouth wide and growls, hoping to intimidate the neighbour's cat.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
唬 = 口 mouth + 虎 tiger
- 口 mouth meaning
- 虎 tiger sound
- 虍 tiger
- 几 how many
Painted as a tiger for the fair, my little brother opens his mouth wide and growls, hoping to intimidate the neighbour's cat.
How it came to be
The mouth gives the meaning and the tiger the sound.
用法
- Mostly lives in the colloquial 吓唬 (xiàhu, to scare/bluff): 别吓唬孩子 (bié xiàhu háizi) don't frighten the kid.
- Also 唬人 (hǔrén) to bluff, to put on a scary front that isn't backed up: 他就是唬人的 (tā jiùshì hǔrén de) he's just bluffing.
- Note the tone shift: 唬 is hǔ, but the 唬 in 吓唬 is toneless.