贬义
biǎnyì
The English word "derogatory" is translated into Chinese as 贬义 (biǎnyì).
贬义 is used to describe something that tends to lessen value. In linguistic contexts, it is often used with the suffix 词 (cí, meaning word) to form 贬义词, which means a derogatory term.
Meaning: tending to lessen the value of (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 贬 (biǎn), meaning to diminish or lower and 义 (yì), meaning meaning or connotation.
Which one should you use?
The antonym of 贬义 is 褒义 (bāoyì), which refers to a word or phrase having a positive or complimentary connotation.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adjective to modify a noun directly in a sentence, it is common to add the particle 的 (de) to form 贬义的.
How do you pronounce it?
biǎnyì
Did you know?
- The character 贬 in 贬义 once referred specifically to the act of demoting a government official to a lower rank or a remote outpost.
- The character 义 in 贬义 can mean 'meaning', but in other contexts, it refers to 'righteousness' or 'loyalty', two of the most important virtues in Confucianism.
- The word 贬 is also used in the phrase 贬值 (biǎnzhí) to describe when a currency loses its value in economics.
Examples in context
- 她对他的态度非常不敬。Her attitude towards him is highly derogatory.
- 这个词是贬义的。Zhège cí shì biǎnyì de.This word is derogatory.
- 我不希望听到贬义的话。Wǒ bù xīwàng tīngdào biǎnyì de huà.I don't want to hear derogatory remarks.
- 你应该避免使用贬义的词汇。Nǐ yīnggāi bìmiǎn shǐyòng biǎnyì de cíhuì.You should avoid using derogatory vocabulary.
Example conversation
Wei and Jiayi are discussing a comment someone made in a meeting.
- 伟 Wei你觉得刚才那句话是贬义的吗？Nǐ juéde gāngcái nà jù huà shì biǎnyì de ma?Do you think that sentence just now was derogatory?
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，我觉得他的语气很不礼貌。Shì de, wǒ juéde tā de yǔqì hěn bù lǐmào.Yes, I think his tone was very impolite.
- 伟 Wei既然是贬义，我们就该反映这个问题。Jìrán shì biǎnyì, wǒmen jiù yīnggāi fǎnyìng zhège wèntí.Since it was derogatory, we should report this issue.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我也这么想，伟。Wǒ yě zhème xiǎng, Wěi.I think so too, Wei.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “derogatory” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
