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宠坏 (chǒng huài) — to spoil (a person, especially a child)

Definition

A resultative verb meaning 'to spoil (someone, usually a child) into bad habits' — combines 宠 (indulge) with 坏 (into a bad state), so it implies the spoiling has already had a negative effect. Often used with 把 or 被 constructions.

verb
to spoil (a person, especially a child)

Examples

  • 宠坏。
    Yé ye nǎi nai bǎ tā chǒng huài le.
    Grandma and grandpa spoiled her.
  • 宠坏。
    Zhè ge hái zi bèi fù mǔ chǒng huài le.
    This child is spoiled by his parents.
  • 宠坏，。
    Bié chǒng huài hái zi, yào jiào tā men gǎn ēn.
    Don't spoil children; teach them gratitude.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

宠chǒngfavor
坏huàiruined

宠 'favor' leads to 坏 'ruined', so the result is someone spoiled.

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 寵; 宠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
龍
龍lóng寵chǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寵 pairs 宀 (roof) with 龍 (dragon): 宀 relates to the meaning and 龍 gives the sound. The simplified 宠 is a later shorthand.

Open 宠 →

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 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

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