Definition
讨巧 means 'to achieve something with minimal effort or clever shortcuts', often implying a bit of cunning or opportunism — it's a separable verb (离合词), so you can split it: 讨了个巧 ('pulled off a clever shortcut'). It's used conversationally and sometimes carries a mild negative tone, like 'cutting corners' or 'being too clever for your own good'.
v.o.
to seek an easy way outto get something by cutting corners or using clever but not entirely honest means
Examples
- 讨巧，。Tā zǒng xiǎng tǎo qiǎo, jiéguǒ bǎ shìqing gǎo zá le.He always wants to take the easy way out, and in the end he messes things up.
- ，。Zhè jiàn shì bù néng tǎo qiǎo, bìxū yí bù yí bù lái.You can't cut corners on this — you have to do it step by step.
- ，。Tā tǎo le gè qiǎo, yòng jiù cáiliào wánchéng le rènwu.He pulled a clever shortcut by using old materials to finish the task.
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