刻板印象
kèbǎn yìnxiàng
刻板印象 (kèbǎn yìnxiàng) is the Chinese word for stereotype.
刻板印象 is a noun used to describe a conventional, formulaic and oversimplified conception, opinion or image. If you want to describe the act of characterizing someone by a stereotype, you can use the phrase 以刻板印象为特征. When discussing the act of challenging or overcoming a stereotype, the most natural way to express this is by using the verb 打破 (to break or shatter) with 刻板印象, forming the phrase 打破刻板印象.
Meaning: conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of two parts. 刻板 (kèbǎn) literally means 'stiff board' or 'rigid', implying something that is inflexible and lacks nuance. 印象 (yìnxiàng) means 'impression'. Together, 刻板印象 literally translates to a 'rigid impression'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
kèbǎn yìnxiàng
Did you know?
- The word 刻板 (rigid) shares its root with the historical process of woodblock printing, where text was carved into a 'stiff board' to create unchanging copies. This imagery underscores the idea that a stereotype is a fixed mold from which no deviation is allowed.
- While 刻板 describes the rigidity of a stereotype, the word 印象 (impression) is also used in Chinese to describe the physical indent left by a stamp or a seal. This suggests that a stereotype is not just a thought, but a permanent mark pressed into the mind.
- Because 刻板 can also describe a person's personality as 'stiff' or 'wooden', calling someone 刻板 is a common way to criticize their lack of creativity or flexibility, even without mentioning a specific stereotype.
Examples in context
- 警察總吃甜甜圈是一種刻板印象。It is a stereotype that police officers always eat doughnuts.This sentence is useful for illustrating how to use 刻板印象 when discussing a common misconception.Tatoeba #1238417 by tsayng, translation #662342 by DancingHorses
- 他们是外国人，所以人们经常有各种刻板印象。They are foreigners, so people often have various stereotypes about them.
- 切勿以定型观念来评判他人。Do not judge others based on stereotypes.
- 我們應該打破對女性的刻板印象。Wǒmen yīnggāi dǎpò duì fùnǚ de kèbǎn yìnxiàng.We should break the stereotypes about women.
- 那種想法只是一種刻板印象。Nà zhǒng xiǎngfǎ zhǐshì yī zhǒng kèbǎn yìnxiàng.That kind of thinking is just a stereotype.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stereotype” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
