疵 (cī) - flaw, defect, blemish — refers to imperfections, faults,

疵Tone 1

cī ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

疵 · cī

flaw, defect, blemish — refers to imperfections, faults, or shortcomings in objects, character, or reasoning.

flaw, defect, blemish — refers to imperfections, faults,

Usage highlights

flaw and defectsmall flawblemish pointwithout flawflawed jadefind fault

Synonyms

  • 瑕— flaw, defect (often used with 疵)
  • 缺点— shortcoming, disadvantage
  • 缺陷— defect, deficiency

Antonyms

  • 完美— perfect, flawless
  • 无瑕— flawless, without blemish

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • There is a flaw in the jade (玉有瑕疵).
  • His argument has a logical flaw (逻辑有瑕疵).
  • The product has minor defects (产品有小疵).
  • She pointed out the blemish in the plan (指出计划中的疵点).

Collocations

  • flaw and defect(瑕疵)
  • small flaw(小疵)
  • blemish point(疵点)
  • without flaw(无疵)
  • flawed jade(疵玉)
  • find fault(吹毛求疵)

Idioms

  • Blowing apart the hairs to find a blemish(吹毛求疵)
  • Picking flaws and finding defects(挑疵找瑕)
  • A flawless white jade(白璧无疵)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese aesthetics, the concept of 'flaw' is important in jade appreciation, where minor imperfections are often accepted as part of the stone's natural character.
  • The character appears in the idiom 吹毛求疵, which criticizes excessive fault-finding and reflects Confucian values of tolerance and understanding.
  • In classical texts, '疵' was used to describe both physical imperfections and moral shortcomings.

FAQ