勾心斗角 gōu xīn dòu jiǎo

to fight and scheme against each other (idiom)

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 27873rd word

Definitions

  1. 1. to fight and scheme against each other (idiom)
  2. 2. (in palace construction) elaborate and refined

Characters

Character Meaning
勾 gōu HSK 6
to tick; to attract; to arouse
心 xīn HSK 3
heart; mind; intention
斗 dòu HSK 5
to fight; to contend; to struggle
角 jiǎo HSK 3
corner; angle