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嫌弃 (xián qì) — to disdain, to shun, to look down upon

Definition

嫌弃 (xiánqì) means to look down on or reject someone/something as beneath you. Stronger and more personal than 鄙视 ('despise' as a judgment); softer than 唾弃 ('spurn/cast off').

verb
to disdainto shunto look down upon

Examples

  • 嫌弃。
    Tā xián qì zhè jiàn yī fu tài jiù le.
    She disdained this piece of clothing because it was too old.
  • 嫌弃。
    Tā xián qì nà lǐ de huán jìng zāng luàn.
    He looked down upon the dirty and messy environment there.
  • 嫌弃。
    Méi yǒu rén huì xián qì zhēn chéng de péng you.
    No one will disdain sincere friends.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

嫌xiándislike
弃qìdiscard

Dislike and discard combine to mean regard with disdain or shun.

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
兼
兼jiān嫌xián
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 女 connects the character to women, while the right part 兼 gives its sound.

Open 嫌 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 棄; 弃 is its simplified writing.

  • 子子zǐchild
  • 𠀠𠀠𠀠basket
  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands

The traditional form 棄, not the simplified 弃, shows 子 (child), 𠀠 (basket), and 廾 (two hands), as a picture of throwing out a child in a basket.

Open 弃 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Attitudes & OpinionsEmotions & Feelings

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