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窝囊废 (wō nang fèi) — (colloquial) good-for-nothing; pathetic person; loser

Definition

A strongly colloquial insult for someone too timid or weak-willed to stand up for themselves — more about spinelessness than general incompetence. Often used to scold ('don't be such a wimp').

noun
(colloquial) good-for-nothingpathetic personloser
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 窝囊废，。
    Tā zhēn shì gè wō nang fèi, shén me shì dōu zuò bù hǎo.
    He's such a good-for-nothing; he can't do anything right.
  • 窝囊废？！
    Nǐ bié zhè me wō nang fèi xíng bu xíng? zì jǐ zhēng qǔ yí xià!
    Can you not be such a wimp? Stand up for yourself!
  • ，窝囊废。
    Zài gōng sī lǐ tā zǒng bèi qī fu, dà jiā dōu jué de tā shì gè wō nang fèi.
    At the company he's always bullied, and everyone thinks he's a pathetic loser.

Origin

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 窩; 窝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi窩wō
Same sound today

The traditional form 窩 uses 穴, a cave, for meaning and 咼 for sound; the simplified 窝 is a later shorthand.

Open 窝 →

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
㯻㯻㯻bag
Sound part声符shēngfú
襄
襄xiāng囊náng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

囊 is made from 㯻, a tied bag with items inside, plus an abbreviated form of 襄 that gives the sound.

Open 囊 →

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 廢; 废 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
广广guǎnghouse
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā廢fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 廢 shows 广 as a house and 發 as the sound.

Open 废 →
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