下里巴人 (xià lǐ bā rén) — popular art or literature that appeals to ordinary people; the 'common taste' in culture (as opposed to highbrow)

Definition

A literary term for art or music aimed at ordinary, everyday tastes. Paired with 阳春白雪, it means 'popular/lowbrow' — the opposite of that 'highbrow' classic art.

noun
popular art or literature that appeals to ordinary peoplethe 'common taste' in culture (as opposed to highbrow)

Examples

  • 下里巴人，。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō shì xià lǐ bā rén, hěn shòu pǔ tōng dú zhě huān yíng.
    This novel is popular art — it's very well received by ordinary readers.
  • 下里巴人。
    Yáng chūn bái xuě hé xià lǐ bā rén gè yǒu gè de guān zhòng.
    Highbrow art and popular art each have their own audiences.
  • 下里巴人，。
    Tā xǐ huan xià lǐ bā rén, bú tài xīn shǎng gǔ diǎn yīn yuè.
    He likes popular culture and doesn't really appreciate classical music.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

下里lower village
下xiàlower里lǐvillage
偏正Modifier + head
巴人Ba people
巴bāBa人rénpeople
偏正Modifier + head

「下里」 and 「巴人」 are two popular Chu songs, so together they stand for lowbrow art.

Characters in this word

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

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 巴 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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