刁 (diāo) is a Chinese character meaning “tricky”. It takes 2 strokes.
Learn this character
Structure
刁
Single unit
- 刁 tricky · diāo unknown
Structure from: Unicode U+5201 and hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 modern glyph inspection
Memory aid
Notice the compact two-stroke shape of 刁: a hooked outline with a rising stroke inside.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
2 strokes
In real words
- 刁难diāo nànto make things difficult for someone刁 = diāo
- 刁钻diāo zuāntricky and crafty刁 = diāo
Go deeper
All readings
tricky
tricky; crafty; unreasonable or deliberately difficult
狡猾；蛮横；故意使人为难。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 刁难diāo nànto make things difficult for someone刁 = diāo
- 刁钻diāo zuāntricky and crafty刁 = diāo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 刁 mean?
刁 (diāo) means tricky; crafty; unreasonable or deliberately difficult.
How do you pronounce 刁?
It is pronounced diāo.
How many strokes does 刁 have?
2. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 刁?
刀. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 刁?
Common ones are 刁难 and 刁钻. The reading of 刁 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.