可悲 (kě bēi) — lamentable, pathetic | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

可悲 (kěbēi) means 'lamentable' — a sad, regrettable situation or quality. It's colder and more judgmental than 可怜 (pity-inducing), closer to 悲惨 (miserable/tragic) but for circumstances, not a person's state.

adjective

lamentablepathetic

Examples

，可悲。
Kàn dào tā men làng fèi liáng shi, zhēn kě bēi.
It's truly pathetic to see them waste food.
，可悲。
Tā yīn wèi yì diǎn xiǎo shì jiù fàng qì, tài kě bēi le.
He gave up over a small matter — how lamentable.
可悲，。
kě bēi De shì, méi rén yuàn yì bāng zhù tā.
What's lamentable is that no one is willing to help him.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

可kěworthy of

可 suggests deserving sadness, and 悲 means sad, so the whole means lamentable.

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

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.

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

非心悲

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart; thought; emotion

Sound part声符shēngfú

非

非fēi悲bēi

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

悲 pairs 非 as the sound part with 心, the heart/emotion part.

Appears in

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