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轻蔑 (qīng miè) — to scorn; to disdain; to look down upon

Definition

轻蔑 (qīng miè) is a written/formal verb meaning 'to scorn, look down on' — stronger and more literary than 看不起, similar in force to 鄙视 and 蔑视.

verb
to scornto disdainto look down upon

Examples

  • 轻蔑。
    Tā qīng miè wǒ de gōng zuò.
    He scorns my work.
  • 轻蔑。
    Bú yào qīng miè bié rén.
    Don't disdain others.
  • 轻蔑。
    Tā qīng miè tā de tài dù.
    She looks down upon his attitude.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

轻qīngto slight
蔑mièto despise

轻 and 蔑 both mean to look down on, so the word expresses scorn.

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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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

  • 𦰋𦰋𦰋person
  • 戈戈gēdagger-axe

蔑 combines 𦰋, a person, with 戈, a dagger-axe, to picture a weapon striking a person's lower leg, meaning to obliterate.

Open 蔑 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Attitudes & OpinionsEmotions & Feelings

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