贬义 (biǎnyì) · negative connotation

贬义 (biǎnyì) means “negative connotation; derogatory sense”. It is written with 2 characters: 贬 (to devalue) + 义 (right conduct). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).

How 贬义 is built

The characters

贬 biǎn · to devalue

What 贬 is made of

贝bèi — sea shell
- 冂 — frame
  - 丨 — vertical stroke
- 人rén — person
乏fá — poor
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 之zhī — marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase
  - 丶 — dot

义 yì · right conduct

What 义 is made of

丶 — dot
乂yì — crossed strokes
- 丿 — falling stroke

Origin hint: ⺷ gives the meaning, 乂 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

这个词带有贬义。Zhège cí dài yǒu biǎnyì.This word has a negative connotation.

这个词本身没有贬义。Zhège cí běnshēn méiyǒu biǎnyì.This word has no negative meaning in itself.

Questions about 贬义

What does 贬义 mean?

贬义 (biǎnyì) means “negative connotation; derogatory sense”.

How do you pronounce 贬义?

贬义 is pronounced biǎnyì.

Which HSK level is 贬义?

贬义 is in Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 贬义 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 11: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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