挑衅

• Pinyin: tiǎo xìn
• Hanzi breakdown: 挑 = 扌+ 兆 — to provoke; 衅 = 血 + 半 — quarrel, grudge

Meaning

To provoke; to challenge aggressively; provocation.

A deliberate act or behavior meant to anger or challenge someone, often leading to conflict. Stronger and more confrontational than 挑起. Common in military, diplomatic, and interpersonal conflict contexts.

Examples

1. 他用挑衅的眼神看着对方，摆明了要找麻烦。 He looked at the other person with a provocative stare, clearly looking for trouble.
2. 面对敌人的挑衅，我们保持了克制，没有轻举妄动。 Faced with the enemy's provocation, we showed restraint and didn't act rashly.
3. 这种言论带有明显的挑衅意味，引起了公众不满。 These remarks carry obvious provocative undertones and have caused public discontent.

Usage Guide

Context: conflict, diplomacy, confrontation

Tone: aggressive

Do Say

• 不要挑衅。(Don't provoke.)
• 这是明显的挑衅。(This is obvious provocation.)

Don't Say

• 用'挑衅'描述友好的玩笑 (挑衅 implies aggressive intent — for playful teasing, use 开玩笑 or 调侃)

Origin & History

挑 means to provoke, 衅 means quarrel or grudge — to provoke a quarrel.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal