English–Chinese
“cunning” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinjiǎo huá
Example
他很狡猾，别轻信他。tā hén jiǎo huá bié qīng xìn tā
He is very cunning, so do not trust him easily.
How to say “cunning” in Chinese
“Cunning” in Chinese is 狡猾 (jiǎo huá).
A calculating person who spots weak points and turns them into personal advantage.
Example sentences with 狡猾
那位商人用狡猾的手段赚了很多钱。nà wèi shāng rén yòng jiǎo huá de shǒu duàn zhuàn le hěn duō qián
That merchant used cunning tactics to make a lot of money.
Tips for using 狡猾
- English-speaking learners may mistake this adjective for a compliment about intelligence, but it specifically casts clever behavior as self-serving or unfair.