About
The character "肮", denoting dirtiness or filth, derives from its traditional form "骯", a phono-semantic compound combining the semantic radical "骨" meaning bone with the phonetic component "亢". Initially, the word "骯髒" carried a figurative sense describing an upright and unyielding demeanor, where the bone element likely suggested moral fortitude or physical resilience. Over time, its meaning inverted entirely to refer to physical grime and impurity, a semantic shift influenced by evolving colloquial usage. The simplified version "肮" substitutes the bone radical with "月", a component commonly associated with flesh or the body, while preserving the original phonetic marker "亢", thus modifying the character's visual association from skeletal structure to bodily substance without altering its sound or contemporary definition.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个地方很肮脏。
他的衣服很肮脏。
孩子们玩得浑身肮脏。
这个房间比那个房间肮脏。
因为下雨，道路变得肮脏。
请不要把垃圾扔在肮脏的地方。
虽然这个地方很肮脏，但我们可以清理它。
政治斗争往往充满了肮脏的手段。