How to Write 唬 (hǔ) — Meaning “To intimidate / To bluff”

Picture a tiger (虎) opening its mouth (口) widely to roar at someone — but the roar is just a bluff to scare them away. This visual reminds you that 唬 means to intimidate or bluff.

Keep the left radical 口 small and positioned in the upper-left area. The right part 虎 has a top component 虍 (tiger skin) with a downward hook, and a lower component 几; make sure the hook does not cross into the mouth. A common mistake is making the 口 too big, which disrupts balance.

唬 contains 虎 (tiger) on the right, while 呲 has 此 (this) on the right and means to talk too much or scold, and 咠 has 咠 (ear) on the right and means to whisper. Visually, only 唬 has the tiger shape, and its meaning is about scaring or bluffing, not just talking.

唬 appears mainly in casual, spoken Chinese, such as in the common word 吓唬 (scare) and 唬人 (bluff). It is not used in formal writing; instead, you hear it in everyday conversations when someone pretends to be fierce or tries to frighten others humorously.

Common words containing 唬 include: 吓唬 (xià hǔ) — to threaten; intimidate; scare; 唬人 (hǔ rén) — To bluff / To deceive; 唬了一跳 (hǔ le yī tiào) — To be startled / To get a fright.