Definition
妖 is a bound form (b.f.) that attaches to other morphemes to form words. It has two related meanings: (1) supernatural evil spirits or monsters, as in 妖怪 (monster) and 妖精 (demon/sprite); (2) something eerie, weird, or seductively bewitching, as in 妖艳 (seductive) and 妖气 (eerie atmosphere). It never appears alone in modern Chinese.
b.f.
(bound form) evil spiritdemonmonster(bound form) eerieweirdseductive
Examples
- 。Hěn duō Zhōngguó shénhuà lǐ dōu yǒu yāo guài.Many Chinese myths have monsters.
- ,。Tā zhǎng de fēicháng yāo yàn, dàjiā dōu kàn tā.She looks very seductive; everyone stares at her.
- 。Nà jiān lǎo fángzi ràng rén juéde yāo qì hěn zhòng.That old house gives an eerie feeling.
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