可恨 (kě hèn) — hateful, detestable | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A literary 'detestable / hateful' — stronger emotion than 讨厌 and more formal/written, used to condemn behavior or people with moral outrage.

adjective

hatefuldetestable

可恨。
Zhè ge rén zhēn kě hèn.
This person is truly hateful.
可恨。
Tā de xíng wéi ràng rén gǎn dào kě hèn.
His behavior makes people feel detestable.
可恨。
Zhè zhǒng qī piàn de zuò fǎ zhēn shì kě hèn.
This kind of deceitful practice is really detestable.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

可kěworthy of

可 conveys worthy of and 恨 means hate, so the word means hateful.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丂

丂kǎo可kě

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

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

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

忄艮恨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart; thought; emotion

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

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.

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