虐待 (nüèdài) · to mistreat

虐待 (nüèdài) means “to mistreat; to abuse”. It is written with 2 characters: 虐 (cruel) + 待 (to stay). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).

How 虐待 is built

The characters

虐 nüè · cruel

What 虐 is made of

虍hū — tiger
- 七qī — seven
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 乚 — hook stroke
彐jì — snout
- 二 — two strokes
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 一 — horizontal stroke

待 dāi · to stay

What 待 is made of

彳chì — to step with the left foot
- 丨 — vertical stroke
寺sì — court
- 土tǔ — earth
  - 十 — ten
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 寸cùn — inch

Origin hint: To welcome someone arriving 彳 at the royal court 寺 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

虐待动物是违法的。Nüèdài dòngwù shì wéifǎ de.Mistreating animals is against the law.

我们应该保护动物不被虐待。Wǒmen yīnggāi bǎohù dòngwù bú bèi nüèdài.We should protect animals from abuse.

Questions about 虐待

What does 虐待 mean?

虐待 (nüèdài) means “to mistreat; to abuse”.

How do you pronounce 虐待?

虐待 is pronounced nüèdài.

Which HSK level is 虐待?

虐待 is in Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 虐待 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 132: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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