蹩脚货 (bié jiǎo huò) — inferior goods, shoddy merchandise, junk

Definition

A colloquial, dismissive term for low-quality, shoddy goods — used to warn someone off a purchase or criticize a product. It describes merchandise itself, not a person's skill (which would be 蹩脚 alone).

noun
inferior goodsshoddy merchandisejunk
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 蹩脚货，。
    Zhè jiā diàn mài de dōu shì bié jiǎo huò, yòng le liǎng tiān jiù huài le.
    The goods sold at this shop are all inferior — they broke after two days.
  • 蹩脚货，。
    Bié tān pián yi mǎi bié jiǎo huò, zuì hòu fǎn ér gèng guì.
    Don't buy shoddy merchandise just to save money — in the end it costs more.
  • 蹩脚货。
    Wǎng gòu shí yào zhù yì fēn biàn bié jiǎo huò.
    When shopping online, be careful to identify inferior goods.

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.

蹩脚lame foot; poor quality
蹩biélame or bad脚jiǎofoot
偏正Modifier + head
货huògoods

蹩 lame or bad + 脚 foot suggests poor quality, and 货 goods makes inferior merchandise.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì蹩bié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蹩 combines 足, a foot, with 敝, which gives the sound. The foot part shows the meaning is about a foot.

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 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body
Sound part声符shēngfú
卻
卻què腳jiǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.

Open 脚 →

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 →

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