臢 (zā) - Dirty, filthy & squalid

臢Tone 1

zā ｜ 23 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

臢 · zā

Dirty, filthy;

squalid;

unclean, foul.

Dirty, filthysqualidunclean, foul.

Usage highlights

Filthy and dirtyDirty moneyFoul airSqualid conditionsUnclean thing

Synonyms

  • 髒— dirty, unclean
  • 污— filthy, polluted
  • 穢— foul, unclean

Antonyms

  • 潔— clean, pure
  • 淨— clean, neat

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The alley was disgustingly filthy (腌臢).
  • He felt grimy after the long journey (一身臢).
  • The corrupt official's money was dirty (臢錢).

Collocations

  • Filthy and dirty(腌臢)
  • Dirty money(臢錢)
  • Foul air(臢氣)
  • Squalid conditions(臢亂)
  • Unclean thing(臢物)

Idioms

  • Extremely filthy and disgusting(腌臢邋遢)
  • Dirty and messy(臢亂不堪)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in classical and literary contexts to describe extreme filth or moral corruption.
  • Often appears in the compound 腌臢 (ā zā), emphasizing a state of being unclean or despicable.
  • Rarely used in modern standard Mandarin outside fixed expressions.

FAQ