鲰 (zōu) - Zou — small fish, especially the minnow & by extension, small, petty, insignificant

鲰Tone 1

zōu ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

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鲰 · zōu

Zou — small fish, especially the minnow;

by extension, small, petty, insignificant;

also used to refer to a petty person or a contemptible individual.

Zou — small fish, especially the minnowby extension, small, petty, insignificantalso used to refer to a petty person

Usage highlights

Petty personSmall fishTrivial matterInsignificant individualContemptible personMinor official

Synonyms

  • 小— small
  • 微— tiny, minute
  • 鄙— despicable, mean

Antonyms

  • 大— big, great
  • 伟— great, mighty
  • 豪— heroic, grand

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is a petty and contemptible person (鲰生).
  • The pond was full of small minnows (鲰鱼).
  • That was a trivial and insignificant matter (鲰事).

Collocations

  • Petty person(鲰生)
  • Small fish(鲰鱼)
  • Trivial matter(鲰事)
  • Insignificant individual(鲰人)
  • Contemptible person(鲰鄙)
  • Minor official(鲰吏)

Idioms

  • A petty and shallow person(鲰生之见)
  • The words of a petty man(鲰生之言)
  • A contemptible and insignificant fellow(鲰鄙之徒)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used in classical texts to denote a person of low status or petty character.
  • The character's primary meaning of 'small fish' is often used metaphorically to describe something or someone insignificant.
  • In naming, it is generally avoided due to its negative connotations of pettiness and insignificance.

FAQ