diu1刁

Jyutpingdiu1

Yaledīu

語素Uncommon

Definition

Tricky, difficult to handle, or artful.

colloquialdescriptions

How it's used

Primarily functions as a bound morpheme in Cantonese, meaning it rarely appears as a standalone adjective in modern speech. It carries a strong negative connotation, describing someone or something that is intentionally difficult, unreasonable, or stubborn. It is frequently paired with other characters to form compound words that describe specific types of difficult behavior.

Examples

ni1呢go3個haak3客hou2好diu1刁zyun3鑽，seng4成jat6日goi2改lai4嚟goi2改heoi3去。

This client is so tricky, always changing things back and forth.

nei5你zou6做me1咩gam3咁diu1刁naan4難jan4人aa4呀？

Why are you making things so difficult for others?

Common phrases

diu1刁zyun3鑽

tricky or devious

diu1刁naan4難

to make things difficult for someone

diu1刁maan4蠻

unreasonable and unruly

Common mistake

Learners often mistake it for a general adjective like 難, but it specifically implies a sense of wilfulness or deliberate obstruction rather than just a task being hard to complete.