庸俗 (yōng sú) — vulgar, tacky, tawdry | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

庸俗 describes a low-brow, tasteless quality in art, style, or behavior — broader than 俗, more about aesthetic/moral vulgarity than just 'common.'

adjective

vulgartackytawdry

庸俗，。
Tā chuān de yī fu hěn yōng sú, yì diǎn pǐn wèi dōu méi yǒu.
The clothes he wears are really tacky, with no taste at all.
庸俗，。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng qíng jié yōng sú, bù zhí dé kàn.
This movie's plot is vulgar; it's not worth watching.
庸俗。
Zhēn zhèng de yì shù cóng bù yíng hé yōng sú de kǒu wèi.
True art never caters to vulgar tastes.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

庸 means mediocre and 俗 means common or vulgar, so together they describe tackiness.

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

同

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

庸 is built from 庚 and 同, with 同 giving the sound. It probably originally meant a large bell.

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

亻谷俗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

谷

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

俗 is built from 亻, a person, and 谷, which gives the sound; it refers to customs of people.

Appears in