Meanings of 壞
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 壞
Podcast: 壞
Podcast: 壞
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 壞
坏 (huài) vs 差 (chà) — choose 坏 when emphasizing spoilage or moral badness, while 差 indicates inferiority or unsatisfactory quality.
Common mistakes include confusing 壞 (huài) with 好 (hǎo), which means 'good'. It's important to use 壞 in the right context, especially in negative constructions. Be mindful of tone, as mispronouncing it can change its meaning entirely.
While 壞 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other adjectives describing conditions, such as 好 (good) and 旧 (old). Students should focus on recognizing its use in everyday conversation, especially in contexts discussing problems or complaints.
Learners often confuse 壞 with the similar-sounding words like 坏 (huài) and 乖 (guāi). For example, saying '他的性格是乖' (His character is good) instead of '他的性格是壞' (His character is bad) leads to incorrect meanings.
Pronunciation of 壞
Drill the tone of 壞 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Etymology of 壞
Simplified form of 壞. Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 褱 represents the sound.
earth
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 壞
Simplified form of 壞. Phonosemantic compound. 土 represents the meaning and 褱 represents the sound.
- 1The meaning half土 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half褱 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayearth
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 壞? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 壞?
Decomposition of 壞
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 壞?
How to say bad, rotten, spoiled; to break down in Chinese
“bad, rotten, spoiled; to break down” in Chinese is壞
The character 壞 (huài) primarily means 'bad' or 'rotten', often used to describe something that is spoiled or has deteriorated in quality. It can also refer to a person's character as 'bad' or 'evil'. In certain contexts, it can denote malfunctioning or breaking down, such as with machines or relationships.
When to use 壞
Common mistakes include confusing 壞 (huài) with 好 (hǎo), which means 'good'. It's important to use 壞 in the right context, especially in negative constructions. Be mindful of tone, as mispronouncing it can change its meaning entirely.
壞 or something close to it
坏 (huài) vs 差 (chà) — choose 坏 when emphasizing spoilage or moral badness, while 差 indicates inferiority or unsatisfactory quality.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 壞 with the similar-sounding words like 坏 (huài) and 乖 (guāi). For example, saying '他的性格是乖' (His character is good) instead of '他的性格是壞' (His character is bad) leads to incorrect meanings.
Write 壞
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 壞 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 壞
Compound Meaning
What does 坏 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 壞
Besides 'bad', 壞 can mean 'rotten', 'spoiled', or even indicate that something has broken down.
Jason Recommends
Not sure what to learn after 壞?
Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.