Meanings of 醜
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About 醜
Podcast: 醜
Podcast: 醜
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AI Study Notes for 醜
丑 (chǒu, ugly) vs 难看 (nánkàn, unsightly) — use 醜 for a stronger connotation of shamefulness or moral judgment.
Be cautious with the tone when using 醜, as a mispronunciation can change its meaning completely. It is often seen in informal contexts, especially when joking about someone's looks or behavior. Common collocations include 醜陋 (chǒulòu - ugly) and 醜聞 (chǒuwén - scandal).
Although 醜 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects with other adjectives describing appearance at a similar level, such as 美 (měi - beautiful) and 好 (hǎo - good). Focus on using it in context to compare qualities.
Learners often confuse 醜 (chǒu) with 丑 (chǒu), which is a variant form. Ensure you use the correct character for the context. For example, saying '他很醜' (tā hěn chǒu) is correct, but mixing it with another character can lead to confusion.
Pronunciation of 醜
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Etymology of 醜
Pictograph of an animal's paw. In simplified Chinese 丑 is also used to mean "ugly", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 醜.
demon
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 醜
Pictograph of an animal's paw. In simplified Chinese 丑 is also used to mean "ugly", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 醜.
- 1The meaning half鬼 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half酉 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaydemon
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 醜? 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 醜
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How to say ugly; shameful; comedian, clown in Chinese
“ugly; shameful; comedian, clown” in Chinese is醜
The character 醜 (chǒu) primarily means 'ugly' or 'shameful', often used to describe physical appearance or behavior that is considered undesirable. It can also refer to a comedian or clown in a more light-hearted context, emphasizing humor derived from silliness or absurdity.
When to use 醜
Be cautious with the tone when using 醜, as a mispronunciation can change its meaning completely. It is often seen in informal contexts, especially when joking about someone's looks or behavior. Common collocations include 醜陋 (chǒulòu - ugly) and 醜聞 (chǒuwén - scandal).
醜 or something close to it
丑 (chǒu, ugly) vs 难看 (nánkàn, unsightly) — use 醜 for a stronger connotation of shamefulness or moral judgment.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 醜 (chǒu) with 丑 (chǒu), which is a variant form. Ensure you use the correct character for the context. For example, saying '他很醜' (tā hěn chǒu) is correct, but mixing it with another character can lead to confusion.
Write 醜
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Practice writing 醜 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 醜
Compound Meaning
What does 丑 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 醜
Yes, 醜 can also describe shameful behavior or character traits, not just physical appearance.
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