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苛

Mandarin · pinyin kē

severe
exacting

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苛: kē · small, petty; harsh, rigorous

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · ke1

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1character link43same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 4 senses · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ho1 · ho4

Cantonese word readings for 苛. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character

harsh; severe; exacting

character

(alt. form 訶／诃) to denounce; to condemn; to decry

character

(Taiwanese Hokkien) to put on airs; to give oneself airs
(Taiwanese Hokkien) supercilious; arrogant; haughty; proud

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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