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低能儿 (dī néng ér) — (historical, offensive) a child with intellectual disabilities; (informal, derogatory) a person who is extremely incompetent in a certain field

Definition

A dated and offensive term for a person with intellectual disabilities. It is also used colloquially as an insult for someone who is very incompetent at something, but avoid it in neutral contexts — modern terms like 智障 are preferred.

noun
(historical, offensive) a child with intellectual disabilities(informal, derogatory) a person who is extremely incompetent in a certain field
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，低能儿。
    Jǐ shí nián qián, yī shēng yòng dī néng ér lái zhǐ zhì lì yǒu wèn tí de hái zi.
    Decades ago, doctors used 'low-ability child' to refer to children with intellectual disabilities.
  • 低能儿，。
    Zhè ge dī néng ér xiàn zài hěn shǎo yòng le, yīn wèi tā bù lǐ mào.
    This term 'low-ability child' is rarely used now because it's rude.
  • ，低能儿。
    Zhè tái jiù diàn nǎo yùn xíng hěn màn, jiù xiàng gè dī néng ér yí yàng.
    This old computer runs very slowly, just like an imbecile.

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.

低能low ability
低dīlow能néngability
偏正Modifier + head
儿érchild

低能 means low ability, and 儿 means child; the whole names a child or person lacking ability.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →
Appears in
Injury & Disability

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