渣 (zhā) - Dregs, sediment, residue & worthless or inferior material

渣Tone 1

zhā ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

渣 · zhā

Dregs, sediment, residue;

worthless or inferior material;

slang for a contemptible person.

Dregs, sediment, residueworthless or inferior materialslang for a contemptible person.

Usage highlights

DregsScumSlagResidueWaste residueBean dregs

Synonyms

  • 糟— dregs, waste (from brewing)
  • 滓— sediment, dregs

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Coffee grounds are bitter (咖啡渣).
  • The factory produces industrial waste (工业废渣).
  • He is a scumbag (人渣).
  • There is residue at the bottom of the cup (杯底有渣).

Collocations

  • Dregs(渣子)
  • Scum(人渣)
  • Slag(矿渣)
  • Residue(残渣)
  • Waste residue(废渣)
  • Bean dregs(豆渣)

Idioms

  • Picking up the pieces(捡渣)
  • Dregs of society(社会渣滓)
  • Worthless residue(残渣余孽)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically refers to the solid remains after processing substances like food or minerals.
  • In modern slang, used pejoratively to describe worthless people or social outcasts.
  • Commonly appears in environmental contexts discussing industrial waste and pollution.

FAQ