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二流 (èr liú) — second-rate (thing or person); inferior quality

Definition

Used as a贬低 label meaning 'second-rate, inferior' — a harsher judgment than 次 (next/second) and stronger than 普通. Often modifies people, works, or goods to say they are not top-tier.

noun
second-rate (thing or person)inferior quality

Examples

  • 二流，。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng shì èr liú zuò pǐn, bù zhí dé kàn.
    This movie is a second-rate work, not worth watching.
  • 二流，。
    Tā suī rán shì gè èr liú zuò jiā, dàn yě yǒu yì xiē dú zhě.
    Although he is a second-rate writer, he still has some readers.
  • 二流，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī de chǎn pǐn dōu shì èr liú huò, zhì liàng hěn chà.
    This company's products are all second-rate goods, very poor quality.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

二èrsecond
流liúclass

二 and 流 combine second with class to mean second-rate.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →
Appears in
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