挑剔

• Pinyin: tiāo ti
• Hanzi breakdown: 挑 = 扌(hand) + 兆 — to pick; 剔 = 易 + 刂(knife) — to pick out

Meaning

Picky; fussy; particular; to find fault.

Describes someone who is overly selective or critical, often finding faults in things that others would accept. Can be neutral (having high standards) or negative (being unreasonably demanding).

Examples

1. 他对食物特别挑剔，口味稍微不对就不吃。 He's extremely picky about food — if the taste is slightly off, he won't eat it.
2. 面试官眼光很挑剔，十个候选人只录取了一个。 The interviewer had very exacting standards — out of ten candidates, only one was hired.
3. 别太挑剔了，这个价位能买到这样的房子已经很不错了。 Don't be too picky — getting a house like this at this price is already pretty good.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, standards, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他很挑剔。(He's very picky.)
• 别太挑剔。(Don't be so fussy.)

Don't Say

• 用'挑剔'夸奖某人 (挑剔 usually has negative connotations — to praise high standards, say 有眼光 or 要求高 instead)

Origin & History

挑 means to pick or select, 剔 means to pick out or reject — picking things out critically.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal