馊 (sōu) - sour, spoiled (of food) & rancid

馊Tone 1

sōu ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

馊 · sōu

sour, spoiled (of food);

rancid;

(figuratively) stale, hackneyed, bad (of ideas, plans)

sour, spoiled (of food)rancid(figuratively) stale, hackneyed, bad (of ideas, plans)

Usage highlights

sour foodspoiled foodbad ideasour smellrancid oilstale plan

Synonyms

  • 酸— sour (primarily taste, less negative than 馊)
  • 腐坏— rotten, decayed
  • 变质— deteriorated, spoiled

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The milk has gone sour (牛奶馊了).
  • Don't eat spoiled food (别吃馊了的食物).
  • He came up with a terrible plan (他想出了一个馊主意).
  • The rice turned sour in the heat (饭在高温下馊了).

Collocations

  • sour food(馊饭)
  • spoiled food(馊了的食物)
  • bad idea(馊主意)
  • sour smell(馊味)
  • rancid oil(馊油)
  • stale plan(馊计划)

Idioms

  • A thoroughly bad idea(馊主意)
  • Food that has turned sour(饭菜馊了)
  • Stale and unoriginal thinking(思想馊腐)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, '馊' carries strong negative connotations beyond just spoiled food, often used to criticize foolish or impractical ideas.
  • The character reflects traditional concerns about food safety and preservation in warm climates.
  • Using '馊主意' to describe a bad suggestion is common in everyday speech across Chinese-speaking regions.

FAQ