xiōng: 凶 - Fierce, Inauspicious, Terrible

• Keywords: xiong, xiōng, 凶, fierce, ferocious, terrible, bad, inauspicious, unlucky, evil, murderer, bad omen, aggressive Chinese
• Summary: Learn the Chinese character 凶 (xiōng), a powerful and versatile word that means fierce, terrible, or inauspicious. This page explores its dual meaning, from describing an aggressive person or animal to signifying a bad omen or an unlucky event in Chinese culture. Understand how 凶 (xiōng) is used in everyday conversation, in important compound words like 凶手 (xiōngshǒu) - murderer, and why it's different from the English word “fierce.”

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xiōng
• Part of Speech: Adjective, Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4 (in words like 凶手)
• Concise Definition: Fierce, ferocious, violent; terrible, frightening; inauspicious, unlucky.
• In a Nutshell: 凶 (xiōng) is a core negative character in Chinese. Think of it as the feeling you get from danger or bad luck. It can describe the menacing growl of a guard dog (fierce), the news of a terrible accident (terrible), or a fortune teller's warning about the future (inauspicious). It captures a sense of malevolence, aggression, and misfortune all in one.

• 凶 (xiōng): This character is a simple pictogram. The outer box `凵` (kǎn) originally depicted a pit or a trap. The `乂` (yì) inside represents a cross or a mark, symbolizing something being trapped or a warning sign. Together, the character visually represents a pitfall, a trap, or a dangerous situation, perfectly embodying its meaning of danger and bad fortune.

The character 凶 (xiōng) holds a significant, and almost exclusively negative, place in Chinese culture, primarily in two domains: aggression and fortune. 1. Aggression & Malevolence: When describing a person, 凶 means more than just “mean” or “angry.” It implies a threatening, potentially violent demeanor. Someone who is 凶 looks like they might hurt you. This is the “fierce” aspect. 2. Fortune & Superstition: This is a crucial cultural layer. 凶 is the direct opposite of 吉 (jí), which means “auspicious” or “lucky.” Chinese culture often involves analyzing events, dates, or signs for their auspiciousness. A situation can be described as 凶, meaning it's a bad omen or portends misfortune. This is central to concepts like Feng Shui (风水) and fortune-telling, where one seeks to avoid 凶 and cultivate 吉. A key difference from Western culture is in the word “fierce.” In English, “fierce” can be positive: “a fierce competitor” is admirable, and “fierce fashion” is a compliment. In Chinese, 凶 is never a compliment. Calling someone 凶 is a direct criticism of their character or mood, implying they are hostile and unpleasant. You would never describe an ambitious colleague or a stylish outfit as 凶.

凶 is a common character you'll encounter in various contexts.

• Describing People and Animals: Its most basic use is to describe someone or something as mean, aggressive, or scary.
• `他老板今天很凶。` (Tā lǎobǎn jīntiān hěn xiōng.) - His boss is very fierce/mean today.
• `那条狗看上去很凶。` (Nà tiáo gǒu kàn shàngqù hěn xiōng.) - That dog looks very ferocious.
• In Compound Words (Crime & Violence): It forms the base of many words related to violence and crime.
• 凶手 (xiōngshǒu): murderer
• 凶器 (xiōngqì): murder weapon
• 行凶 (xíngxiōng): to commit a violent crime/murder
• 凶案 (xiōng'àn): a murder case
• In the Context of Fortune: It's used to talk about luck and omens.
• 吉凶 (jíxiōng): good fortune and bad fortune
• 凶兆 (xiōngzhào): a bad omen
• 凶多吉少 (xiōng duō jí shǎo): “more bad than good”; a grim outlook.

• Example 1:
  • 你别那么凶，会吓到孩子的。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bié nàme xiōng, huì xiàdào háizi de.
  • English: Don't be so fierce, you'll scare the children.
  • Analysis: This is a direct command telling someone to soften their aggressive tone or demeanor. 凶 here refers to being mean or harsh.
• Example 2:
  • 警察正在寻找凶手。
  • Pinyin: Jǐngchá zhèngzài xúnzhǎo xiōngshǒu.
  • English: The police are looking for the murderer.
  • Analysis: Here, 凶 is part of the noun 凶手 (xiōngshǒu), its most common compound word, meaning “murderer” or “assailant.”
• Example 3:
  • 听说他这次投资是凶多吉少。
  • Pinyin: Tīngshuō tā zhè cì tóuzī shì xiōng duō jí shǎo.
  • English: I heard that his investment this time is more likely to fail than succeed.
  • Analysis: This is a very common idiom. Literally “bad is many, good is few,” it means the situation looks bleak and has a low chance of a positive outcome.
• Example 4:
  • 算命先生说这是一个凶兆。
  • Pinyin: Suànmìng xiānsheng shuō zhè shì yī gè xiōngzhào.
  • English: The fortune teller said this is a bad omen.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the “inauspicious” meaning. 凶兆 (xiōngzhào) specifically means a sign of impending bad luck.
• Example 5:
  • 那个男人凶巴巴地瞪着我。
  • Pinyin: Nàge nánrén xiōngbābā de dèng zhe wǒ.
  • English: That man glared at me ferociously.
  • Analysis: 凶巴巴 (xiōngbābā) is a vivid adjective that emphasizes a fierce and aggressive appearance or manner. The suffix `巴巴` adds a descriptive, almost onomatopoeic quality.
• Example 6:
  • 警方在现场发现了凶器。
  • Pinyin: Jǐngfāng zài xiànchǎng fāxiàn le xiōngqì.
  • English: The police found the murder weapon at the scene.
  • Analysis: Similar to 凶手, 凶器 (xiōngqì) is a specific legal/criminal term. 器 (qì) means tool or weapon.
• Example 7:
  • 我们应该学会如何判断吉凶。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yīnggāi xuéhuì rúhé pànduàn jíxiōng.
  • English: We should learn how to judge good and bad fortune.
  • Analysis: The pair 吉凶 (jíxiōng) is a set phrase representing the full spectrum of luck, from good to bad. It shows the direct opposition between 吉 (jí) and 凶 (xiōng).
• Example 8:
  • 嫌疑人承认了行凶过程。
  • Pinyin: Xiányírén chéngrèn le xíngxiōng guòchéng.
  • English: The suspect confessed to the process of committing the murder.
  • Analysis: 行凶 (xíngxiōng) is a verb phrase meaning “to carry out a violent act” or “to commit a murder.” 行 (xíng) means to carry out.
• Example 9:
  • 他虽然看起来很凶，但其实人很好。
  • Pinyin: Tā suīrán kàn qǐlái hěn xiōng, dàn qíshí rén hěn hǎo.
  • English: Although he looks very fierce, he is actually a very nice person.
  • Analysis: This sentence is great for practice as it contrasts appearance with reality, a common conversational structure. It highlights that 凶 can refer just to one's resting facial expression.
• Example 10:
  • 这场空难是一场惨烈的凶案。
  • Pinyin: Zhè chǎng kōngnán shì yī chǎng cǎnliè de xiōng'àn.
  • English: This air crash was a tragic and terrible disaster.
  • Analysis: The term 凶案 (xiōng'àn) usually refers to a murder case, but can be used more broadly to describe a terrible event with many casualties, emphasizing the horrific and tragic nature.

• False Friend: “Fierce” vs. 凶 (xiōng)
  • The biggest mistake is assuming 凶 can be used positively like “fierce” in English. You cannot say a successful businessperson is 凶 (unless they are a violent criminal) or that a cool outfit is 凶.
  • Incorrect: `这件衣服很凶！` (This dress is very fierce!) → This sounds very strange, as if the dress is cursed or dangerous. Use `这件衣服很酷 (kù)!` (This dress is very cool!) instead.
  • Incorrect: `他是一位很凶的竞争者。` (He is a very fierce competitor.) → This implies he is a malicious or violent competitor. You should use `他是一位很厉害 (lìhai)的竞争者。` (He is a very formidable/skilled competitor.)
• Aggressive vs. Strict:
  • Don't confuse 凶 (xiōng) with 严格 (yángé), which means “strict.” A strict teacher (严格的老师) enforces rules. A fierce teacher (凶的老师) yells, intimidates, and scares students. While a strict teacher might sometimes be fierce, the two concepts are distinct.

• 厉害 (lìhai) - Formidable, awesome, severe. Can describe great skill (positive) or a severe situation (negative). It's about capability or intensity, whereas `凶` is about malevolence or bad luck.
• 残忍 (cánrěn) - Cruel, brutal. A more specific term that describes an intention to cause suffering, a quality often possessed by someone who is `凶`.
• 暴力 (bàolì) - Violence, force. This is the act itself. A `凶` person might resort to `暴力`.
• 吉利 (jílì) - Auspicious, lucky. The direct antonym of `凶` in the context of fortune.
• 凶手 (xiōngshǒu) - Murderer, assassin. A key noun derived from `凶` that you must know.
• 凶恶 (xiōng'è) - Ferocious, fiendish, malevolent. An adjective that intensifies the meaning of `凶`, often used for villains in stories or truly evil people.
• 吉凶 (jíxiōng) - Good and bad fortune. A common pairing used in discussions about fate and luck.
• 严格 (yángé) - Strict, rigorous. Describes someone who enforces rules, which is different from being `凶` (mean/aggressive).