====== xiōng: 凶 - Fierce, Inauspicious, Terrible ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **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."
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **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.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **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.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
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**.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
**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 Sentences =====
  * **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 **xiōng**zhào.
    * 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 jí**xiōng**.
    * 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.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  *   **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.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[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).