歹

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bad; wicked; evil; Kangxi radical 78

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Pictograph (象形字)

A corpse

Components 一夕

malicious · Heisig RSH #712

— as a component also called: bones

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
不知好歹	bù zhī hǎo dǎi	unable to differentiate good from bad (idiom); not to know what's good for one; unable to …
为非作歹	wéi fēi zuò dǎi	to break the law and commit crimes (idiom); malefactor; evildoer; to perpetrate outrages
好说歹说	hǎo shuō dǎi shuō	(idiom) to try one's very best to persuade sb; to reason with sb in every way possible
不识好歹	bù shí hǎo dǎi	unable to tell good from bad (idiom); undiscriminating
做好做歹	zuò hǎo zuò dǎi	to persuade using all possible arguments (idiom); to act good cop and bad cop in turn
歹人	dǎi rén	bad person; evildoer; robber
歹意	dǎi yì	evil intent; malice
好歹	hǎo dǎi	good and bad; most unfortunate occurrence; in any case; whatever
歹命	dǎi mìng	(Tw) to have been dealt a hard lot in life (from Taiwanese, Tai-lo pr. [pháinn-miā])
歹毒	dǎi dú	vicious; ruthless; malevolent
歹势	dǎi shì	(Tw) excuse me; to be sorry (from Taiwanese, Tai-lo pr. [pháinn-sè])
歹徒	dǎi tú	evildoer; malefactor; gangster; hoodlum