土里土气 (tǔ lǐ tǔ qì) — (derogatory) rustic, unsophisticated, unfashion… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Used to judge someone's style or taste as unfashionable and countrified — typically about clothes, décor, or manners, with a negative tone.

bound form

(derogatory) rusticunsophisticatedunfashionable

Examples

土里土气，。
Tā chuān de yī fu yǒu diǎn tǔ lǐ tǔ qì, bú tài shì hé jīn tiān de chǎng hé.
His clothes are a bit unsophisticated, not quite suitable for today's occasion.
，土里土气。
Suī rán tā shì cóng nóng cūn lái de, dàn yì diǎn yě bù tǔ lǐ tǔ qì.
Although she is from the countryside, she is not rustic at all.
土里土气，。
Zhè tào jiā jù tài tǔ lǐ tǔ qì le, fàng zài kè tīng lǐ xiǎn de hěn guò shí.
This set of furniture is too unsophisticated; it looks very outdated in the living room.

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.

土里in earth

土tǔearth里lǐinside

偏正Modifier + head

土气earthy air

土tǔearth气qìair

偏正Modifier + head

Both parts evoke earthiness: 土里 suggests earth, and 土气 suggests rustic air.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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.

衤里裡

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.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

气米氣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

气

气qì氣qì

Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

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