汚 (wū) - dirty, filthy, corrupt, to defile, stain

汚Tone 1

wū ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

万响

汚 · wū

dirty, filthy, corrupt, to defile, stain

dirty, filthy, corrupt, to defile, stain

Usage highlights

pollutioncorruptiondirtystaindefilementsewage

Synonyms

  • 污— dirty, filthy (standard Chinese form)
  • 秽— dirty, filthy
  • 浊— turbid, muddy

Antonyms

  • 洁— clean, pure
  • 净— clean, pure
  • 清— clear, pure

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The river water is polluted (汚染された水).
  • He was accused of corruption (汚職で告発された).
  • This is a stain on his reputation (彼の評判の汚点).
  • Clean the dirty floor (汚れた床を掃除する).

Collocations

  • pollution(汚染)
  • corruption(汚職)
  • dirty(汚い)
  • stain(汚点)
  • defilement(汚れ)
  • sewage(汚水)

Idioms

  • To drag through the mud(泥をかぶる)
  • A blot on one's reputation(名誉の汚点)
  • Corrupt officials(汚職官吏)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • This character is primarily used in Japanese kanji with the meaning of dirt, pollution, and corruption.
  • In Chinese, the standard simplified form is 污, while 汚 is a variant form.
  • The character carries strong negative connotations related to moral corruption and physical filth.

FAQ