佞 (nìng): given to flattery; sycophantic

Meanings

1 given to flattery; sycophantic
2 a flatterer; a glib, fawning person

Characters

佞

nìng

flattering; a sycophant

Examples

皇帝宠信佞臣，疏远忠良。

Huángdì chǒngxìn nìngchén, shūyuǎn zhōngliáng.

The emperor trusted fawning officials and drove away the honest ones.

奸佞之徒比明敌更危险。

Jiānnìng zhī tú bǐ míng dí gèng wēixiǎn.

A glib flatterer is far more dangerous than an open enemy.

Tips

history

A classic word in dynastic history for the smooth-tongued courtier who flatters his way into power. Key compounds: 佞臣 (sycophantic minister) and 奸佞 (treacherous flatterer), the stock villain opposite the loyal 忠臣.

Components

radical

亻 rén

person (left-side radical)

Standing-person radical on the left, side-form of 人. It marks this as a type of person — here, the flatterer. Same family as 侫-like character-type words: 伪 false, 诈-style cunning.

semantic

二 èr

two

Middle 二 is the squeezed top half of 仁 (kindness): the character pictures false 'kindness' shown toward a woman, hence sweet-talking flattery.

semantic

女 nǚ

woman

Bottom 女 is 'woman.' The early graph showed sweet words and a feigned kindness directed at a woman, giving the sense of fawning, ingratiating speech.