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恶性循环 (è xìng xún huán) — vicious circle (a situation in which one problem causes another, causing the first problem to worsen)

Definition

A noun for a 'vicious circle' — a self-reinforcing cycle where one problem causes another that worsens the first. Contrast with 良性循环 (a positive, self-reinforcing cycle).

noun
vicious circle (a situation in which one problem causes another, causing the first problem to worsen)

Examples

  • 恶性循环。
    Zhè zhǒng è xìng xún huán hěn nán dǎ pò.
    This kind of vicious circle is very hard to break.
  • 恶性循环。
    Pín qióng hé jí bìng xíng chéng le è xìng xún huán.
    Poverty and disease form a vicious circle.
  • 恶性循环。
    Wǒ men bì xū bì miǎn xiàn rù è xìng xún huán.
    We must avoid falling into a vicious circle.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

恶性vicious
恶èbad性xìngness
后缀Suffix
循环cycle
循xúnfollow环huáncircle
动宾Verb + object

The 恶性 'vicious' and 循环 'cycle' give a vicious circle.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 惡; 恶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
亞
亞yā惡è
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 惡 pairs 心 (heart) as the meaning part with 亞 (yā) as the sound part; the simplified 恶 is a later shorthand.

Open 恶 →

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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
彳彳chìmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
盾
盾dùn循xún
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

循 has 彳 on the left, a part used for movement, and 盾 on the right, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 循 →

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 環; 环 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng環huán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 環 pairs 玉 (jade) with a sound part; the simplified 环 is a shorthand and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 环 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsIdioms & Set Phrases

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