Meanings of 賤
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About 賤
Podcast: 賤
Podcast: 賤
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AI Study Notes for 賤
贱 (jiàn, cheap) vs 低 (dī, low) — use 賤 when specifically referring to worth or value, while 低 generally describes height or level.
Learners often confuse 賤 with 便宜 (piányí), which also means cheap but is more neutral and commonly used for pricing. Note that 賤 can carry a negative connotation when referring to a person's character, so it should be used carefully. Common collocations include 賤價 (jiàn jià - low price) and 賤民 (jiàn mín - lowly people).
Although 賤 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with terms related to value and pricing, such as 便宜 (piányí) and 高 (gāo - high). Students should focus on understanding the nuance of worth and moral implications when learning this character.
Learners may mistakenly use 賤 in contexts that are meant to be neutral or positive, such as saying 賤商品 (jiàn shāngpǐn - cheap product) when they mean to refer to a bargain, which would be better expressed with 便宜商品 (piányí shāngpǐn). It's important to recognize the negative implications of 賤.
Pronunciation of 賤
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Etymology of 賤
Costing little 戔 money 貝; 戔 also provides the pronunciation
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 賤
- 1The giveawayCosting little 戔 money 貝; 戔 also provides the pronunciation
- 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 賤? 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
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Decomposition of 賤
Identify the Components
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How to say cheap, low, mean, worthless in Chinese
“cheap, low, mean, worthless” in Chinese is賤
The character 賤 (jiàn) conveys the idea of something being low in value or worth, often used to describe items that are cheap or of poor quality. It can also refer to a person's character, implying meanness or worthlessness in a moral context. This term is commonly used in both everyday conversations and literary contexts.
When to use 賤
Learners often confuse 賤 with 便宜 (piányí), which also means cheap but is more neutral and commonly used for pricing. Note that 賤 can carry a negative connotation when referring to a person's character, so it should be used carefully. Common collocations include 賤價 (jiàn jià - low price) and 賤民 (jiàn mín - lowly people).
賤 or something close to it
贱 (jiàn, cheap) vs 低 (dī, low) — use 賤 when specifically referring to worth or value, while 低 generally describes height or level.
What learners get wrong
Learners may mistakenly use 賤 in contexts that are meant to be neutral or positive, such as saying 賤商品 (jiàn shāngpǐn - cheap product) when they mean to refer to a bargain, which would be better expressed with 便宜商品 (piányí shāngpǐn). It's important to recognize the negative implications of 賤.
Write 賤
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Practice writing 賤 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 賤
Compound Meaning
What does 贱 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 賤
賤 emphasizes low worth or negative qualities, while 便宜 simply means inexpensive without negative implications.
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