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污秽 (wū huì) — (adjective) filthy, sordid, nasty (stronger than 脏, used in formal or literary contexts); (noun) filth, dirt, morally corrupt things

Definition

A formal/literary word for 'filthy,' stronger than everyday 脏 and often used for moral corruption as well as physical dirt. It also works as a noun meaning 'filth.'

adjective
filthysordidnasty (stronger than 脏, used in formal or literary contexts)
noun
filthdirtmorally corrupt things

Examples

  • 污秽。
    Zhè zhǒng wū huì de huán jìng ràng rén wú fǎ hū xī.
    This kind of filthy environment makes it impossible to breathe.
  • 污秽。
    Tā de nèi xīn chōng mǎn le wū huì.
    His heart is full of filth.
  • 污秽。
    Zhè xiē wū huì de yán yǔ bù gāi chū xiàn zài gōng gòng chǎng hé.
    These filthy words should not appear in public places.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

污wūdirty
秽huìfilthy

污 dirty and 秽 filthy reinforce each other to mean filth or nastiness.

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 汙; 污 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
于
于yú汙wū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 汙 pairs 水 (water) with 于 for the sound; the simplified 污 is a later shorthand.

Open 污 →

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 穢; 秽 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
歲
歲suì穢⁰huì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 穢 pairs 禾 (grain) with 歲, which gave the sound; the simplified 秽 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 秽 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Good & Bad

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