恶毒 (è dú) — venomous; vicious | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

adjective

venomousvicious

恶毒。
Tā shuō de nà xiē huà zhēn è dú.
The words he said were really vicious.
恶毒。
Tā shì yí gè hěn è dú de rén.
He is a very vicious person.
恶毒。
Bú yào yòng è dú de yǔ yán shāng hài bié rén.
Don't use vicious language to hurt others.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

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

'恶' gives evil, '毒' gives poison, together describing viciousness.

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 惡; 恶 is its simplified writing.

亞心惡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

亞

亞yā惡è

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 惡 pairs 心 (heart) as the meaning part with 亞 (yā) as the sound part; the simplified 恶 is a later shorthand.

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

屮屮chèvegetation

Sound part声符shēngfú

毐

毐ǎi毒dú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

毒 pairs 屮, a plant part, with 毐 as a sound part; this form was used for a poisonous plant.

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