Learn a Chinese Character - 劣

1. Character Basics

Radical: 力 (lì, power/strength radical)

Stroke Count: 6

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: liè (Fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Bad; inferior; poor; low quality; bad character; wicked; weak; deficient; substandard; second-rate; worse; of poor quality; inferior to; not good; negative; harmful

4. Common Words

• 劣质 (lièzhì) - poor quality; inferior quality
• 恶劣 (èliè) - bad; atrocious; abominable
• 劣势 (lièshì) - inferior position; disadvantage
• 卑劣 (bēiliè) - mean; base; despicable
• 劣等 (lièděng) - inferior; of poor quality; low grade
• 劣迹 (lièjì) - misdeed; bad record; evil doing
• 伪劣 (wěiliè) - fake and shoddy; counterfeit and inferior
• 劣绅 (lièshēn) - bad gentry; corrupt local official

5. Grammar & Usage

"劣" is often used as an adjective to describe something of poor quality or someone with bad character.

Common structures include "劣质+名词" (poor quality + noun), "恶劣+名词" (bad + noun), and "劣于" (inferior to).

It can also form compound words that denote negative qualities or situations, such as "劣势" (disadvantage) and "劣迹" (misdeeds).

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, the concept of "劣" (inferiority) has historical significance in various contexts, including social hierarchy, moral judgment, and quality assessment.

The character is often used in contrast to "优" (excellent), forming the common phrase "优劣" (advantages and disadvantages) which reflects the Chinese philosophical tradition of yin-yang balance.

Throughout Chinese history, the evaluation of people and things as "优劣" has played an important role in social governance, education, and cultural values.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character "劣" consists of 少 (shǎo, few/less) on top and 力 (lì, power/strength) below.

You can remember it as "less power" or "insufficient strength", which relates to the meaning of being inferior or poor quality.

Another mnemonic: visualize someone with less power being considered inferior in a competitive situation.