Chinese word dictionary

逆鳞

nì lín · (Chinese legend) a patch of scales on a dragon's neck that grow in the opposite direction, which when touched enrages the dragon; (fig.) sensitive subject or trigger issue that provokes a strong emotional reaction when sb's views on it are challenged

Practice word

Word information

Simplified逆鳞

Traditional逆鱗

Pinyinnì lín

Part of speechDictionary

HSK 3.0Not listed

HSK 2.0Not listed

Character breakdown

Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.

逆nì

to disobey, to rebel; traitor, rebel

鳞lín

fish scales

How to learn 逆鳞

Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.

When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.

Related vocabulary

Words with the same characters

Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.

逆境nìjìng

adversity; predicament

逆行nìxíng

to go the wrong way; to go against one-way traffic regulation

叛逆pànnì

to rebel; to revolt; a rebel

逆天nì tiān

(literary) to be in defiance of the natural order; (coll.) extraordinary; incredible

可逆kě nì

reversible; (math.) invertible

逆向nì xiàng

backwards; reverse direction