恶霸
èbà
In Mandarin, 恶霸 (èbà) is the term for bullies.
The term is used to describe people who habitually intimidate or mistreat those who are weaker.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In regions such as Taiwan, the traditional character form 惡霸 is commonly used instead of the simplified version.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 恶霸 is a noun that does not change its form to indicate plurality. The plurality is understood through context or by adding a quantifier like 些 (xiē).
How do you pronounce it?
èbà
Did you know?
- While 恶霸 is the traditional noun for a bully, the modern term 霸凌 (bàlíng) is actually a phonetic loanword derived from the English word 'bullying'.
- The word 霸 (bà) in 恶霸 refers to a historical title for a hegemon or overlord. In ancient China, a 'hegemon' was not necessarily a villain but a powerful leader who dominated other states.
- Chinese has a specific philosophical concept called 霸道 (bàdào), which describes a 'way of the hegemon' characterized by the use of force over virtue.
Examples in context
- 欺凌者毫无理由地攻击其他同学。The bully attacked other students without any reason.
- 他就是个恶霸，总是欺负弱者。He's just a bully, always picking on the weak.
- 他在学校里是个恶霸。Tā zài xuéxiào lǐ shì gè èbà.He is a bully at school.
- 我们不能让恶霸横行霸道。Wǒmen bùnéng ràng èbà héngxíng bàdào.We cannot let bullies run rampant.
- 那些恶霸正在欺负小孩。Nàxiē èbà zhèngzài qīfù xiǎohái.Those bullies are bullying children.
Example conversation
Two classmates are discussing a problematic student in the hallway.
- 欣怡 Xinyi那个男生看起来像个恶霸。Nàge nánshēng kàn qǐlái xiàng gè èbà.That boy looks like a bully.
- 伟 Wei他确实经常找麻烦。Tā quèshí jīngcháng zhǎo máfan.He indeed often causes trouble.
- 欣怡 Xinyi我们要告诉老师吗？Wǒmen yào gàosù lǎoshī ma?Should we tell the teacher?
- 伟 Wei我觉得有必要。Wǒ juéde yǒu bìyào.I think it is necessary.
