Meanings of 秽
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About 秽
Podcast: 秽
Podcast: 秽
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AI Study Notes for 秽
污 (wū) — use 秽 (huì) for moral impurity or obscenity, while 污 (wū) focuses on physical dirtiness.
Imagine a 'huge' pile of 'dirt' that is so 'filthy' it makes you feel unclean just looking at it. The left part '土' (tǔ) represents 'earth' or 'soil', while the right part '会' (huì) sounds like 'huge', helping you remember that it signifies something overwhelmingly dirty.
Be cautious with the usage of 秽 as it can carry strong negative connotations, particularly when referring to moral or ethical issues. It is typically used in a more formal or literary context rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 秽行 (huìxíng, immoral actions) and 秽土 (huìtǔ, dirty soil).
While 秽 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be related to other HSK words that describe cleanliness or morality, such as 干净 (gānjìng, clean) or 正直 (zhèngzhí, upright). Students should focus on understanding the contrasts between clean and dirty, pure and impure.
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with moral integrity, and terms like 秽 are used to emphasize the importance of purity in both personal conduct and physical spaces. The concept of 'ritual purity' in traditional practices, such as festivals and ceremonies, further highlights its significance.
Learners often confuse 秽 with other characters like 脏 (zāng, dirty) without recognizing the moral aspect of 秽. For example, saying '这是很秽' (Zhè shì hěn huì) is incorrect; it should be '这是很脏' (Zhè shì hěn zāng) for a physical dirt context.
Pronunciation of 秽
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Etymology of 秽
Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 岁 represents the sound. Simplified form of 穢.
grain
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 秽?
Decomposition of 秽
Identify the Components
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Write 秽
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Practice writing 秽 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 秽
秽 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Complete the Sentence
孩子表现不佳时要让他们知道，但不能让他们自惭形____。
When your children misbehave tell them without making them feel small.
Example Sentences for 秽 (3)
Cultural Notes for 秽
In Chinese culture, cleanliness is often associated with moral integrity, and terms like 秽 are used to emphasize the importance of purity in both personal conduct and physical spaces. The concept of 'ritual purity' in traditional practices, such as festivals and ceremonies, further highlights its significance.
Word Family of 秽
Compound Meaning
What does 淫秽 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 秽
Synonyms include 脏 (zāng, dirty) and 污秽 (wūhuì, filth), but 秽 carries a stronger moral implication.
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