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孬种 (nāo zhǒng) — coward (derogatory)

Definition

孬种 (nāo zhǒng) is a derogatory slang noun for 'coward,' used to insult someone who backs down or betrays others out of weakness. It's much harsher and more insulting than the neutral 胆小鬼.

noun
coward (derogatory)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，孬种。
    Yù dào kùn nan jiù tuì suō, zhēn shì gè nāo zhǒng.
    He backs off at the first sign of difficulty — he's such a coward.
  • 孬种。
    Tā mà nà ge bèi pàn péng you de rén shì nāo zhǒng.
    He called the person who betrayed his friend a coward.
  • 孬种，。
    Zhàn chǎng shàng bú dàng nāo zhǒng, yào yǒng gǎn zuò zhàn.
    On the battlefield, don't be a coward; fight bravely.

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.

孬nāobad
种zhǒngbreed

孬 gives bad, and 种 gives breed or kind, making a bad breed, a coward.

Characters in this word

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

孬 stacks 不 (no, not) over 好 (good, well), so it reads as not good, meaning bad.

Open 孬 →

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
禾禾hérice
Sound part声符shēngfú
中
中zhōng种zhǒng
Same sound today

种 pairs 禾, which shows rice or grain and fits meanings like plant and seed, with 中, which gives its sound.

Open 种 →
Appears in
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