弊 (bì) — (bound form) disadvantage, harm, shortcoming; (bound form) fraud, abuse, malpractice
Definition
Almost never used alone — always paired with 端 (弊端) or 利 (利弊). 弊端 means 'drawback', while 利弊 refers to the pros and cons side by side.
bound form
disadvantageharmshortcomingfraudabusemalpractice
Examples
- 。Zhè ge zhì dù de bì duān hěn míng xiǎn.The drawbacks of this system are obvious.
- 。Kǎo shì shí jué duì bù néng zuò bì.You must absolutely not cheat during the exam.
- 。Wǒ men yào quán héng lì bì zài zuò jué dìng.We need to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
廾廾gǒngboth hands
弊 adds 廾, both hands, to 敝, which gives the sound and means destroy or tatters, making the idea of destroying something with both hands.
Appears in
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