(cào) - damn (expletive), manage, operate in Mandarin
càoTraditional: 操
HSK 5
#852 of 5,000 Core 1000
Translation
damn (expletive), manage, operate
Word origin
操 is a phono-semantic compound: the hand radical 扌indicates an action of the hand (to hold, to manage, to drill), while 喿 (zào) supplies the sound. It means to operate or handle, and in coarse usage serves as an expletive.
- Origin
- phono-semantic compound
- Root
- 扌(hand radical) + 喿 (zào, phonetic)
Stroke order
操
Examples
，。
Damn, I forgot to bring the keys.
。
He was very concerned about this matter.
。
Managing this system is not difficult.
，。
Damn, I've lost my keys again.
骂句。
He swore once and walked off.
操 (cào) means damn (expletive), manage, operate. It is used as an interjection in everyday Mandarin speech.
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