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恨之入骨 (hèn zhī rù gū) — to hate someone to the marrow of one's bones; to despise intensely

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'to hate someone to the bone' — an extremely intense, literary idiom. Stronger than everyday 讨厌 or 恨, used for deep, abiding hatred.

idiom
to hate someone to the marrow of one's bonesto despise intensely

Examples

  • 恨之入骨。
    Tā duì nà ge chū mài tā de péng you hèn zhī rù gū.
    He hates the friend who betrayed him to the very marrow of his bones.
  • 恨之入骨。
    Xiǎo shuō zhōng de fǎn pài ràng dú zhě hèn zhī rù gū.
    The villain in the novel makes readers hate him to the core.
  • ，恨之入骨。
    Yóu yú duō nián de jī yuàn, tā duì lín jū hèn zhī rù gū.
    Due to years of accumulated resentment, he hates his neighbor to the bone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

恨之hate him
恨hènhate之zhīhim
动宾Verb + object
入骨enter bones
入rùenter骨gǔbone
动宾Verb + object

恨 means hate, 之 refers to the hated person, 入骨 says it reaches the bones; together express intense hatred.

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart; thought; emotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn恨hèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 忄 is the heart, pointing to an emotion such as regret or hate. The right side 艮 supplies the sound.

Open 恨 →

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

入 is drawn as an arrowhead, indicating 'to enter'.

Open 入 →

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
肉肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
冎
冎guǎ骨gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The older form 冎 drew a bone; 肉, flesh, was added to make 骨.

Open 骨 →
Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsIdioms & Set Phrases

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