可恶

kěwù

repulsive

HSK 7

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"可恶" is an adjective used to express strong dislike or hatred toward a person, behavior, or thing. It conveys a sense of anger and repulsion, often used when someone or something causes frustration or harm.

Common Contexts

It is frequently used to describe people who have done something wrong or annoying, such as liars, cheaters, or pests like mosquitoes. The tone is informal and emotional, suitable for everyday speech when expressing irritation or anger.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 可恶 (detestable person): used to describe someone who is hateful or wicked.
  • 可恶行为 (hateful behavior): refers to actions that provoke anger or disgust.
  • 可恶东西 (annoying thing): often used for pests or unpleasant objects.

Nuances

While "可恶" expresses strong negative feelings, it is less formal and less severe than words like "憎" or "". It is commonly used in spoken language to vent frustration.

Common Confusion

Do not confuse "可恶" with "可爱" (lovable). They are opposites in meaning despite sharing the character "". "可恶" always has a negative connotation.

Example Sentences

那个骗子真是可恶,居然骗了我那么多钱。

Nàgè piànzi zhēn shì kěwù, jūrán piàn le wǒ nàme duō qián.

That liar is really detestable; he actually cheated me out of so much money.

他可恶的行为让大家都很生气。

Tā kěwù de xíngwéi ràng dàjiā dōu hěn shēngqì.

His hateful behavior made everyone very angry.

可恶的蚊子又咬我了!

Kěwù de wénzi yòu yǎo wǒ le!

Those annoying mosquitoes bit me again!