TongTong
Sign in

贱货 (jiàn huò) — (derogatory) cheap goods, inferior merchandise; (vulgar insult, extremely offensive) bitch, slut, contemptible person

Definition

贱货 is a harsh noun with two distinct uses: a derogatory label for cheap, shoddy goods, and a vulgar personal insult (roughly 'bitch/slut'). The tone is always contemptuous — avoid in neutral writing.

noun
(derogatory) cheap goodsinferior merchandise(vulgar insult, extremely offensive) bitchslutcontemptible person
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 贱货。
    Zhè zhǒng jiàn huò méi rén huì mǎi.
    Nobody would buy this kind of cheap junk.
  • 贱货。
    Tā jū rán shuō rén jiā shì gè jiàn huò.
    He actually called that person a bitch.
  • 贱货。
    Shì chǎng shàng hěn duō jiàn huò dōu shì jiǎ huò.
    Many cheap goods on the market are fake.

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.

贱jiànlowly
货huògoods

贱 means lowly or cheap and 货 means goods, so it describes cheap goods or a contemptible person.

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 賤; 贱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèi
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān賤jiàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 賤 uses 貝 to carry the meaning and 戔 for the sound; the simplified 贱 is a later shorthand.

Open 贱 →

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 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà貨huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

Open 货 →
Appears in
Good & Bad

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.