Chinese Character: 坏
1. Character Basics
Radical: 土 (tǔ) - Earth/soil radical
Stroke Count: 7 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Huài (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
Basic Meaning: Bad; broken; damaged; evil; spoil
Extended Meanings:
- Of poor quality
- Not functioning properly
- Morally wrong or evil
- To break or damage something
Additional Notes: The character "坏" combines the earth radical "土" with the phonetic component "不", which contributes to its pronunciation.
4. Common Words
- 坏人 (huài rén) - Bad person; villain
Example: 电影里的坏人通常没有好下场。(Diàn yǐng lǐ de huài rén tōng cháng méi yǒu hǎo xià chǎng.) - In movies, villains usually don't have a good ending.
- 坏事 (huài shì) - Bad thing; evil deed
Example: 我们不应该做坏事。(Wǒ men bù yīng gāi zuò huài shì.) - We shouldn't do bad things.
- 坏了 (huài le) - Broken; damaged; spoiled
Example: 我的手机坏了，需要修理。(Wǒ de shǒu jī huài le, xū yào xiū lǐ.) - My phone is broken and needs repair.
- 破坏 (pò huài) - Destroy; damage; wreck
Example: 不要破坏公共设施。(Bù yào pò huài gōng gòng shè shī.) - Don't damage public facilities.
- 坏处 (huài chù) - Disadvantage; harm; drawback
Example: 吸烟对健康有很多坏处。(Xī yān duì jiàn kāng yǒu hěn duō huài chù.) - Smoking has many disadvantages for health.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of Speech: Adjective; Verb
Common Usage:
- As an adjective to describe something that is not working properly or is of poor quality
- As a verb to indicate the act of breaking or damaging something
- In colloquial language to express that something has gone wrong
Common Structures:
- X + 坏了 (X is broken/damaged)
- 做 + 坏事 (to do bad things)
- 破坏 + Noun (to destroy/damage something)
- 坏处 + 是... (the disadvantage is...)
Usage Notes: When used as a verb, "坏" often takes the complement "了" to indicate completion of the action.
6. Cultural Background
Concept of Good and Evil: In Chinese culture, the concept of good (好) and bad (坏) is fundamental to moral teachings, influencing both personal behavior and social norms.
Repair Culture: Traditional Chinese culture values repair and reuse over disposal. When something is "坏了" (broken), the first thought is often to fix it rather than replace it.
Proverbs and Idioms: Many Chinese proverbs use the character "坏" to convey moral lessons, such as "近朱者赤，近墨者黑" (jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi) - "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, one who stays near ink gets stained black" (meaning you become like those you associate with).
Modern Usage: In contemporary Chinese, "坏" is commonly used in both literal and figurative senses, from describing physical objects to moral character.
7. Example Sentence
Example 1:
这个杯子坏了。(Zhè ge bēi zi huài le.)
Translation: This cup is broken.
Example 2:
不要做坏事。(Bù yào zuò huài shì.)
Translation: Don't do bad things.
Example 3:
天气太热，食物容易坏。(Tiān qì tài rè, shí wù róng yì huài.)
Translation: The weather is too hot, food spoils easily.
8. Memory Tips
1. Component Breakdown: The character "坏" consists of the radical "土" (earth/soil) and the component "不" (not). Together they form the meaning of "bad" or "broken".
2. Stroke Order: Practice writing the character in the correct stroke order to help with memorization. The stroke order is: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal hook, right-falling stroke.
3. Word Association: Associate "坏" with common words like "坏人" (bad person) and "坏事" (bad thing) to reinforce its meaning.
4. Sentence Practice: Create your own sentences using "坏" to become more comfortable with its usage.
5. Opposite Character: Remember that the opposite of "坏" (bad) is "好" (good). Learning antonym pairs can help strengthen your vocabulary.