壞 (huài) - Bad — poor quality & defective

壞Tone 4

huài ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

壞 · huài

Bad — poor quality;

defective;

spoiled;

evil;

wicked;

to ruin or damage;

to go bad;

very (as an intensifier).

Bad — poor qualitydefectivespoiled

Usage highlights

Bad personBad thingBreak downBad habitSpoiled childDamaged goods

Synonyms

  • 恶— evil, wicked
  • 劣— inferior, poor quality
  • 差— poor, bad

Antonyms

  • 好— good, excellent
  • 优— superior, excellent
  • 善— good, virtuous

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The food has gone bad (食物坏了).
  • He has bad habits (坏习惯).
  • Don't spoil the child (别宠坏孩子).
  • The weather is really bad today (今天天气很坏).

Collocations

  • Bad person(坏人)
  • Bad thing(坏事)
  • Break down(坏掉)
  • Bad habit(坏习惯)
  • Spoiled child(坏孩子)
  • Damaged goods(坏货)

Idioms

  • Good and evil are clearly distinguished(好坏分明)
  • Spoil things beyond repair(坏得不可收拾)
  • A bad thing can be turned into a good thing(坏事变好事)
  • Destroy the bridge after crossing the river(过河拆桥 — similar concept)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese morality, being 'bad' carries strong negative moral judgment.
  • The character appears in many cautionary tales about moral corruption.
  • In modern usage, it can function as an intensifier similar to 'very' in colloquial speech.

FAQ