招风

招風
zhāofēng
verb #32,722

Meanings

  1. 1 to catch the wind
  2. 2 (figurative) to attract attention or criticism due to one's prominence

Examples

Shù dà zhāofēng, rén pà chūmíng.
Tall trees catch the wind; people fear becoming too famous.
Tā tài ài xuànyào, nánmiǎn zhāofēng.
He loves to show off, so he inevitably attracts criticism.

Tips

usage
Most often seen in the proverb 大招 ("tall trees catch the wind") — a warning that prominence brings trouble. As a standalone verb, 招风 implies inviting unwanted attention rather than literally catching wind.
memory
Literally "summon wind". A tall tree literally catches more wind, just as a high-profile person literally catches more gossip and criticism.

Stroke Order

zhāo
fēng