丑态 (chǒu tài) — ludicrous or shameful behavior; ugly display

Definition

noun

ludicrous or shameful behaviorugly display

，丑态。
Tā zài yàn huì shàng zuì dǎo zài dì, nà fù chǒu tài zhēn shì lìng rén bù chǐ.
He fell down drunk at the banquet — that ugly display was truly contemptible.
丑态。
Zhè piān bào dào jiē lù le zhèng kè zài xuǎn jǔ zhōng de zhǒng zhǒng chǒu tài.
This report exposes all kinds of shameful behavior by politicians during the election.
丑态。
Tā de chǒu tài zài dà tíng guǎng zhòng zhī xià bào lù wú yí.
His ludicrous conduct was fully exposed in public.

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.

丑 means ugly and 态 means posture or behavior, so it denotes an ugly display.

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 醜; 丑 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 丑 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words it is 醜; in others (丑) it is 丑.

酉鬼醜

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鬼鬼guǐghost, demon

Sound part声符shēngfú

酉

酉yǒu醜chǒu

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 醜 uses 鬼, a ghost or demon, to show ugliness and 酉 for sound; that shape is about 醜, not about 丑.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

太心态

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

太

Same sound today

态 is made of 太, which gives the sound, and 心 (heart).