Meanings of 秽
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 秽
Podcast: 秽
Podcast: 秽
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 秽
污 (wū) — use 秽 (huì) for moral impurity or obscenity, while 污 (wū) focuses on physical dirtiness.
Be cautious with the usage of 秽 as it can carry strong negative connotations, particularly when referring to moral or ethical issues. It is typically used in a more formal or literary context rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 秽行 (huìxíng, immoral actions) and 秽土 (huìtǔ, dirty soil).
While 秽 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be related to other HSK words that describe cleanliness or morality, such as 干净 (gānjìng, clean) or 正直 (zhèngzhí, upright). Students should focus on understanding the contrasts between clean and dirty, pure and impure.
Learners often confuse 秽 with other characters like 脏 (zāng, dirty) without recognizing the moral aspect of 秽. For example, saying '这是很秽' (Zhè shì hěn huì) is incorrect; it should be '这是很脏' (Zhè shì hěn zāng) for a physical dirt context.
Pronunciation of 秽
Drill the tone of 秽 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Etymology of 秽
Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 岁 represents the sound. Simplified form of 穢.
grain
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 秽
Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 岁 represents the sound. Simplified form of 穢.
- 1The meaning half禾 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half岁 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaygrain
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 秽? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 秽?
Decomposition of 秽
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 秽?
How to say dirty, unclean; immoral, obscene in Chinese
“dirty, unclean; immoral, obscene” in Chinese is秽
The character 秽 (huì) refers to something that is dirty or unclean, both in a physical sense, such as dirt or filth, and in a moral sense, indicating obscenity or immorality. It is often used to describe not only physical conditions but also concepts that are considered impure or corrupt.
When to use 秽
Be cautious with the usage of 秽 as it can carry strong negative connotations, particularly when referring to moral or ethical issues. It is typically used in a more formal or literary context rather than in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 秽行 (huìxíng, immoral actions) and 秽土 (huìtǔ, dirty soil).
秽 or something close to it
污 (wū) — use 秽 (huì) for moral impurity or obscenity, while 污 (wū) focuses on physical dirtiness.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 秽 with other characters like 脏 (zāng, dirty) without recognizing the moral aspect of 秽. For example, saying '这是很秽' (Zhè shì hěn huì) is incorrect; it should be '这是很脏' (Zhè shì hěn zāng) for a physical dirt context.
Write 秽
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 秽 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 秽
秽 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Complete the Sentence
孩子表现不佳时要让他们知道，但不能让他们自惭形____。
When your children misbehave tell them without making them feel small.
Example Sentences for 秽 (3)
Word Family of 秽
Compound Meaning
What does 淫秽 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 秽
Synonyms include 脏 (zāng, dirty) and 污秽 (wūhuì, filth), but 秽 carries a stronger moral implication.
Jason Recommends
Not sure what to learn after 秽?
Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.