Definition
畜生 is a noun with two sharply different senses: literally 'domestic animal' or 'livestock', and as a vicious insult meaning 'beast' or 'bastard'. The insult sense is very strong in Chinese — it reduces a person to an animal and is highly offensive, unlike the milder 'beast' in English. In classical or literary contexts it can also mean 'creature' or 'dumb beast'. Use with extreme care in its derogatory sense; as a literal term it is neutral and practical.
n
domestic animallivestockbrutebeast (strong insult)
Examples
- 畜生，。Nóngmín zài yuànzi lǐ yǎng le yìxiē chù sheng, bǐrú zhū hé jī.The farmer keeps some domestic animals in the yard, such as pigs and chickens.
- ，畜生！Nǐ jìngrán zuò chū zhè zhǒng shì, zhēn shì chù sheng bùrú!You actually did something like this — you're worse than a beast!
- 畜生，。Zhèxiē chù sheng suīrán bú huì shuōhuà, dàn yě néng gǎnshòu dào rén de shànyì.Though these creatures can't speak, they can still feel human kindness.
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