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滥用 (làn yòng) — to misuse, to abuse

Definition

滥用 pairs a verb with a resource (authority, funds, drugs): 'to misuse' through overuse, often with systemic or harmful effect. It is formal/written, unlike colloquial 骂 ('to scold'); for mistreating people, use 虐待.

verb
to misuseto abuse

Examples

  • 滥用。
    Tā yīn wèi làn yòng zhí quán bèi kāi chú le.
    He was fired for abusing his authority.
  • 滥用。
    Cháng qī làn yòng kàng shēng sù huì dǎo zhì nài yào xìng.
    Long-term misuse of antibiotics can lead to drug resistance.
  • 滥用。
    Zhèng fǔ chū tái zhèng cè fáng zhǐ làn yòng gōng gòng zī jīn.
    The government introduced policies to prevent the misuse of public funds.

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.

滥lànexcessive/indiscriminate
用yònguse

滥 means indiscriminate or excessive, and 用 means use; together they express misuse or abuse.

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 濫; 滥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān濫làn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濫 pairs 水, water, with 監 to give the sound; the simplified 滥 is a later shorthand.

Open 滥 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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