脏活 (zàng huó) — physically dirty work, menial labor; (figurative) dirty work, unpleasant or ethically questionable tasks

Definition

脏活 (zānghuó) covers two related senses: literally menial, physically dirty work, and figuratively the unpleasant or ethically shady tasks nobody wants — the 'dirty work' of an organization.

noun
physically dirty workmenial labor(figurative) dirty work, unpleasant or ethically questionable tasks
Easily confused

Examples

  • 脏活。
    Tā měi tiān dōu zuò zàng huó.
    He does dirty work every day.
  • 脏活。
    Méi rén xiǎng zuò zhè ge zàng huó.
    No one wants to do this dirty work.
  • 脏活。
    Xǐ cè suǒ shì zàng huó zhī yī.
    Cleaning the toilet is one kind of dirty work.

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.

脏zāngdirty
活huówork

活 that is 脏, dirty labor or unpleasant tasks.

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 髒; 脏 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 脏 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (心脏) it is 臟; in others (脏) it is 髒.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
葬
葬zàng髒zàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 髒 combines 骨 (bone) with 葬 (zàng) for the sound.

Open 脏 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑活huó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Open 活 →

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