Ways to say it
| Chinese |
|---|
| 糟糕的 |
| 太壞了 / 太坏了 |
The term 糟糕的 is used to describe a bad situation, a poor quality or a messy state of affairs. In spoken Chinese, the colloquial form 糟糕 can also function as a standalone exclamation meaning "Oh no!" or "What a mess!" when something goes wrong.
Which one should you use?
The forms in Chinese differ based on what is being described. 糟糕的 refers to a bad situation or quality. In contrast, 太壞了 / 太坏了 is used to describe a person's bad character or a person being "naughty" or "wicked".
How does it change in a sentence?
To add emphasis to the word 糟糕, you can add 透了 after it to mean "terrible to the core" or "absolutely terrible".
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 太壞了 to describe a bad situation, such as a "terrible day". In Chinese, 糟糕 is the correct term for situational badness.
Did you know?
- The word 糟糕 literally translates to 'spoiled porridge'. It originally described the frustration of ruining a pot of congee, which evolved into a general term for a 'terrible' situation.
- While 'bad' is usually negative, saying 太坏了 (tài huài le) to a partner or a child can actually be a flirtatious or affectionate way to call them 'naughty'.
- In some contexts, 糟糕 can be used as a mild euphemism to avoid using stronger profanity when something goes terribly wrong.
Examples in context
- 這是糟糕的一天。It was a terrible day.This sentence shows how to describe a bad day using 糟糕的.Tatoeba #834832 by Martha, translation #441955 by CK
- 那家馆子物美价廉，美中不足的是他们糟糕的位置。That place's food is great, and their prices are good, but the fly in the ointment is their terrible location.This sentence illustrates the use of 糟糕的 to describe a specific negative quality in a situation.Tatoeba #1397375 by mtdot, translation #71763 by shekitten
- 这个计划真糟糕This plan is really terrible.
- 那个地方晚上很可怕That place is very terrifying at night.
- 公司对待员工的方式很恶劣The company's treatment of employees is extremely terrible.
- 这个天气糟透了The weather is terrible.
- 这个电影真烂This movie is really terrible.
- 这个饭店的食物太垃圾了The food at this restaurant is terrible.
- 这张照片拍得很糟糕。This photo was taken terribly.
- 这个游戏太烂了，玩起来一点乐趣都没有。This game is so terrible, it's no fun to play at all.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a movie they just watched.
- 俊杰 Junjie你覺得這部電影怎麼樣？Nǐ juéde zhè bù diànyǐng zěnmeyàng?What did you think of this movie?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我覺得劇情非常糟糕的。Wǒ juéde jùqíng fēicháng zāogāo de.I think the plot was terrible.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也這麼覺得，太浪費時間了。Wǒ yě zhème juéde, tài làngfèi shíjiān le.I agree, it was such a waste of time.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我們下次得選更好的電影。Wǒmen xiàcì děi xuǎn gèng hǎo de diànyǐng.We have to pick a better movie next time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “terrible” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
