佞 Stroke Order

Character: 佞 (nìng) 1. Meaning: Wise, refers to intelligence; an old self-deprecating term. English: Having talent and intelligence; an old humble term. 2. Meaning: Skilled in speech, flattering. English: Good at debate, skilled in flattery. 3. Usage: a. 佞人 (nìng rén) – a person skilled in speech who is unscrupulous. English: One who is eloquent but unscrupulous. b. 佞幸 (nìng xìng) – obtaining favor through flattery. English: Gaining favor through sycophancy. c. 佞史 (nìng shǐ) – a distorted or altered history to please those in power. English: History distorted to curry favor with the powerful. d. 佞臣 (nìng chén) – a sycophantic minister. English: A Minister who flatters. e. 奸佞 (jiān nìng) – treacherous flattery. English: Deceitful flattery. 4. Character Analysis: - Basic Meaning: To use flowery language to flatter. - Form: A pictophonetic character formed from the components for "woman" and "trust." 5. Verb: a. To flatter using insincere and clever words. English: To use flowery language for flattery. 6. Noun: a. One who flatters. English: A flatterer. 7. Adjective: a. Wise. English: Possessing wisdom. b. Hypocritical. English: Feigning virtue. 8. Examples: a. 不佞 (bù nìng) – not wise; often a term of humility. English: Not talented; used as a humble expression. b. 佞口 (nìng kǒu) – a flattering and deceitful talk. English: The mouth of a flatterer; sweet-talking. 9. Literary References: a. "全望陛下亲贤远佞，以调天和，以安黎庶。" – Emperors are advised to favor the wise and distance the sycophants for peace. b. "寡人不佞。" – I am not learned or talented. c. "佞哀诈立，实非本怀。" – The hypocritical and deceitful establishment is not truly its intention.