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坏处 (huài chù) — disadvantage, drawback, downside; harm, negative effect

Definition

The everyday word for the 'downsides' or 'harm' of a choice or situation, often paired with 好处 ('pros'). Less formal than 弊病, and lighter than 缺点 (which points to a flaw in a person or thing itself).

noun
disadvantagedrawbackdownsideharmnegative effect
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，坏处。
    Zuò shì zhī qián, xiān xiǎng xiǎng hǎo chù hé huài chù.
    Before doing something, first think about the benefits and the downsides.
  • 坏处，。
    Zhè ge bàn fǎ de huài chù hěn duō, wǒ bù xǐ huan.
    This method has many drawbacks; I don't like it.
  • 坏处？
    Nǐ jué de zhè yàng zuò yǒu shén me huài chù?
    What harm do you see in doing this?

Origin

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.

坏huàibad
处chùpoint

坏处 is a 处 or aspect that is 坏, i.e. a drawback.

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 壞; 坏 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái壞huài
Same sound today

For the traditional form 壞, 土 (earth) is the meaning part and 褱 supplies the sound; earth is used because something that rots eventually becomes earth. This is about 壞, not the simplified 坏.

Open 坏 →

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 處; 处 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夂夂zhǐ
几几jǐtable
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū處chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 處 pairs 虍, giving the sound, with 夂 and 几, a table, as meaning parts. The simplified 处 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 处 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.