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可怜虫 (kě lián chóng) — pitiful creature; wretch (derogatory)

Definition

A derogatory noun for a pitiful, contemptible person — used to mock someone's weakness or failure, not to express sympathy. Stronger and more insulting than 可怜 (which can be neutral or sympathetic).

noun
pitiful creaturewretch (derogatory)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 可怜虫，。
    Tā zhēn shì gè kě lián chóng, zǒng shì bù xī qǔ jiào xùn.
    He's really a wretch, never learning from his lessons.
  • 可怜虫，。
    Jiē jiǎo nà ge kě lián chóng, méi rén guān xīn tā de sǐ huó.
    That pitiful creature on the street corner, no one cares if he lives or dies.
  • 可怜虫。
    Shī bài zhě wǎng wǎng bèi rén chēng wéi kě lián chóng.
    Losers are often called wretches.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

可怜pitiful
可kěcan怜liánpity
虫chóngcreature

可怜 'pitiful' and 虫 'creature' combine to mean a pitiful person.

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 憐; 怜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
粦
粦lín憐lián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 憐 combines 心 (heart) with 粦, which gives it its sound; the simplified 怜 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 怜 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟲; 虫 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 蟲 is the one the reference discusses; 虫 is also a traditional character on its own.

Open 虫 →
Appears in
People (General)

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