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低估 (dī gū) — to underestimate; to underrate

Definition

低估 focuses on wrongly judging a quantity, ability, or difficulty as smaller than it really is. 贬低 is to disparage or belittle a person; 小看 is to look down on someone or underestimate them, often with contempt.

verb
to underestimateto underrate

Examples

  • 低估。
    Bú yào dī gū duì shǒu de shí lì.
    Don't underestimate the opponent's strength.
  • 低估。
    Zhè cì lǚ xíng de yù suàn bèi dī gū le.
    The budget for this trip was underestimated.
  • 低估。
    Tā dī gū le wèn tí de fù zá xìng.
    He underestimated the complexity of the problem.

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.

低dīlow
估gūestimate

低 gives the level and 估 the act of estimating, so the word means to judge something too low.

Characters in this word

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
亻Written in full as人rénman, person
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī低dī
Same sound today

In 低, the left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 氐 gives the sound; the image is a person lowering or bowing themselves.

Open 低 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ估gū
Same sound today

The left part 亻 is a person; the right part 古 gives 估 its sound.

Open 估 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Thinking & Cognition

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