贬

貶

biǎn

乏 + 贝

Definitions

biǎn (verb) to diminish; to reduce; to devalue

biǎn (verb) to demote

biǎn (verb) to criticize; to disparage

Etymology

To devalue 乏 currency 贝

About

The character 贬 is a phono-semantic compound combining the radical 贝, a simplified form of the cowry shell (貝) that indicates money, wealth, or economic value, with the phonetic component 乏 on the right. Its original meaning was financial, to devalue currency or lower prices. Over centuries of use, the sense expanded into political administration, where it refers to demoting an official to a lower rank, and then into everyday speech as a verb meaning to disparage, belittle, or speak ill of someone or something.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

不要贬低别人的努力。

Bùyào biǎndī biérén de nǔlì.

Don't belittle other people's efforts.

他总是贬斥流行音乐。

Tā zǒngshì biǎnchì liúxíng yīnyuè.

He always disparages pop music.

这货币贬值得很厉害。

Zhè huòbì biǎnzhí de hěn lìhai.

This currency has depreciated severely.

他被贬到一个偏远的分公司。

Tā bèi biǎn dào yīgè piānyuǎn de fēn gōngsī.

He was demoted to a remote branch office.

这种说法带有贬义。

Zhè zhǒng shuōfǎ dàiyǒu biǎnyì.

This way of speaking carries a derogatory connotation.

评论家严厉贬损了这部新电影。

Pínglùnjiā yánlì biǎnsǔnle zhè bù xīn diànyǐng.

The critic severely disparaged this new film.

在逆境中，他从不自我贬抑。

Zài nìjìng zhōng, tā cóng bù zìwǒ biǎnyì.

In adversity, he never engages in self-deprecation.

由于他公开批评公司政策，不久就被贬职了。

Yóuyú tā gōngkāi pīpíng gōngsī zhèngcè, bùjiǔ jiù bèi biǎnzhíle.

Because he publicly criticized the company's policies, he was soon demoted.

Related Characters

Component: 乏

Component: 贝

贬