穷酸 (qióng suān) — poor and pedantic, often with a jealous or bitter attitude (describing an impoverished intellectual)

Definition

A negative adjective for someone who is poor, pedantic, and acts superior or bitter about it — a mocking label for a pretentious nobody, not just a neutral 'poor'. Often used with 样子.

adjective
poor and pedantic, often with a jealous or bitter attitude (describing an impoverished intellectual)

Examples

  • 穷酸。
    Nà ge qióng suān xiù cai zǒng shì kàn bù qǐ bié rén.
    That poor pedantic scholar always looks down on others.
  • 穷酸，。
    Tā yí fù qióng suān yàng, hái jiǎ zhuāng hěn yǒu xué wèn.
    He puts on a poor and pedantic air, pretending to be very learned.
  • 穷酸。
    Bié zài bǎi chū nà fù qióng suān yàng zi le.
    Don't put on that poor and pedantic look anymore.

Origin

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.

穷qióngpoor
酸suānsour/pedantic

穷 gives poor, while 酸 carries a sour or pedantic tone, describing a poor, pedantic attitude.

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 窮; 穷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave; nest; confinement
Sound part声符shēngfú
躬
躬gōng窮qióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 窮, 穴 (cave; nest; confinement) gives the sense and 躬 gives the sound; this is about 窮, not the simplified 穷.

Open 穷 →

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
酉酉yǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
夋
夋qūn酸suān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酸 is built from 酉 and 夋, and 夋 gives the sound.

Open 酸 →

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