鄙 (bǐ) — (bound form) vulgar, mean, base; (bound form) humble, my (self-deprecating before a noun like 人); (bound form) to despise, to scorn

Definition

A literary/bound morpheme with three distinct uses: it can mean 'vulgar, base' as a standalone adjective, form the common verb 鄙视 ('to despise'), or appear as 鄙人 ('your humble self') — a self-deprecating literary pronoun meaning 'I'.

bound form
vulgarmeanbasehumblemy (self-deprecating before a noun like 人)to despiseto scorn
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā zuò de shì tài bēi bǐ le.
    The things he did are too despicable.
  • 。
    Dà jiā dōu bǐ shì zhè zhǒng bù wén míng de xíng wéi.
    Everyone despises this kind of uncivilized behavior.
  • 。
    bǐ Rén rèn wéi zhè ge fāng àn hái xū yào gǎi jìn.
    I (humbly) think this plan still needs improvement.

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 啚啚bǐborder town
  • 邑邑yìcity

鄙 began as 啚, a form for border town. It later adds 邑, a city, beside it.

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