凶 from HSK Level 6 Vocabulary List

The Chinese character 凶 (xiōng) is composed of two parts: the radical 歹 (dǎi), which means "bad" or "evil", and the phonetic component 共 (gòng), which is pronounced similarly to 凶. The character 凶 is often used to describe something that is dangerous, harmful, or unlucky. It can also be used to refer to a person who is violent or cruel.The earliest known use of the character 凶 dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was originally used as a pictograph of a person with a weapon, representing the idea of danger or harm. Over time, the character evolved into its current form, and its meaning expanded to include a wider range of negative concepts.The character 凶 is often used in combination with other characters to form compound words. For example, the word 凶杀 (xiōngshā) means "murder", while the word 凶兆 (xiōngzhào) means "omen of bad luck". The character 凶 can also be used as a suffix to indicate a negative quality. For example, the word 凶狠 (xiōnghěn) means "fierce" or "cruel", while the word 凶恶 (xiōng'è) means "evil" or "wicked".The character 凶 is a powerful symbol of danger and misfortune. It is a reminder that there are many things in the world that can cause harm, and that we should always be on our guard against them.