Definitions

è (adjective) evil; fierce; vicious; ugly
(verb) to hate; to loathe
ě (adjective) nauseating; disgusting

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 恶 is a phono-semantic compound with the heart radical 心 at its base, signifying emotion or morality, and the phonetic component 亚 above it. Its traditional form, 惡, uses the more complex phonetic 亞, which historically depicted a structural base or tomb and could carry connotations of inferiority. The heart radical’s influence gave rise to a cluster of related meanings: objective evil or wickedness, the subjective feeling of hatred or disgust, and the physical sensation of nausea.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个味道很心。

Zhège wèidao hěn ěxin.

This taste is very disgusting.

天气条件很劣。

Tiānqì tiáojiàn hěn èliè.

The weather conditions are very bad.

她说了一些毒的话。

Tā shuōle yīxiē èdú de huà.

She said some malicious words.

我厌这种行为。

Wǒ yànwù zhè zhǒng xíngwéi.

I detest this kind of behavior.

那个霸欺负小孩。

Nàge èbà qīfu xiǎohái.

That bully bullies children.

赌博是一种习。

Dǔbó shì yī zhǒng èxí.

Gambling is a bad habit.

那只狗看起来凶

Nà zhī gǒu kàn qǐlái xiōng'è.

That dog looks fierce.

他的作剧有时会让人生气。

Tā de èzuòjù yǒushí huì ràng rén shēngqì.

His pranks sometimes make people angry.