huài: 坏 - Bad, Broken, Spoiled

• Keywords: huai, 坏, bad in Chinese, how to say broken in Chinese, Chinese adjective for bad, spoiled food Chinese, evil in Chinese, wicked, naughty, HSK 2
• Summary: Discover the versatile and essential Chinese word 坏 (huài), one of the first words you'll need to learn. Meaning “bad,” “broken,” or “spoiled,” huài is used to describe everything from a broken phone and spoiled milk to a naughty child or a “bad guy” in a movie. This guide will break down its simple structure, cultural nuances, and practical uses, helping you master this fundamental building block of Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): huài
• Part of Speech: Adjective, Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To be bad, broken, spoiled, or wicked.
• In a Nutshell: 坏 (huài) is your go-to, all-purpose word for “bad” in Chinese. Think of it as the direct opposite of 好 (hǎo - good). It's a simple, direct, and powerful word used to describe an object that has stopped working, food that's gone off, or a person's negative character or actions.

• 坏 (huài) is a phono-semantic compound character, combining a meaning component and a sound component.
• 土 (tǔ): The radical on the left means “earth” or “soil.” It represents something fundamental, physical, or of the earth.
• 不 (bù): The component on the right means “not” or “no.”
• Combined Meaning: You can think of the character as something that is “not” in its proper, earthy, or natural state. When soil (土) is “not” (不) good, it's barren. When an object is “not” in its correct state, it's broken (坏). When food is “not” in its natural state, it's spoiled (坏).

The word 坏 (huài) itself is straightforward, but its usage highlights a key linguistic difference between Chinese and English. In English, “bad” can sometimes have a positive, slang connotation (e.g., “She's a bad-ass,” “That's a bad ride!”). In Chinese, 坏 (huài) is unequivocally negative. There is no context where 坏 means “cool” or “good.” This reflects a certain directness in moral and qualitative judgment. A 坏人 (huàirén), or “bad person,” is a common archetype in Chinese stories and films, often depicted with less of the moral ambiguity or “anti-hero” worship seen in some Western media. A person is either 好 (hǎo - good) or 坏 (huài - bad). This black-and-white application makes 坏 (huài) a very clear and unambiguous term for learners to use. When you say something is 坏, you are leaving no doubt about its negative quality.

坏 (huài) is an extremely common word used daily in various situations.

• Describing Broken Objects: This is perhaps the most frequent use. The structure is typically `[Object] + 坏了 (huài le)`. The `了 (le)` indicates a change of state (it wasn't broken before, but it is now).
  • e.g., “My phone is broken.” (我的手机坏了。)
  • e.g., “The air conditioner is broken.” (空调坏了。)
• Describing Spoiled Food: Similar to objects, this indicates food that is no longer fresh or edible.
  • e.g., “The milk has gone bad.” (牛奶坏了。)
  • e.g., “This apple is rotten.” (这个苹果坏了。)
• Describing People and Character: This use ranges from playful scolding to serious moral condemnation.
  • e.g., “You naughty boy!” (你这个坏孩子!) - Often said to a child with affection.
  • e.g., “He is a bad person.” (他是个坏人。) - A serious statement about someone's character.
• As a Verb Complement: 坏 can be attached to a verb to indicate that an action resulted in something being broken or ruined. This is a very important grammar pattern.
  • `吃坏 (chīhuài)` - To get sick from eating something bad. (lit. “eat-bad”)
  • `弄坏 (nònghuài)` - To break something through handling/fiddling. (lit. “make-bad”)
  • `搞坏 (gǎohuài)` - To mess something up or ruin it. (lit. “do-bad”)

• Example 1:
  • 我的电脑坏了，我需要买一台新的。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de diànnǎo huài le, wǒ xūyào mǎi yì tái xīn de.
  • English: My computer is broken, I need to buy a new one.
  • Analysis: A classic and essential example of 坏了 (huài le) used to describe a broken electronic device.
• Example 2:
  • 这个面包放了三天，已经坏了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè ge miànbāo fàng le sān tiān, yǐjīng huài le.
  • English: This bread has been sitting out for three days, it's already spoiled.
  • Analysis: Shows 坏 (huài) used for food that has gone bad over time.
• Example 3:
  • 这是一个很坏的习惯，你应该改掉它。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì yí ge hěn huài de xíguàn, nǐ yīnggāi gǎidiào tā.
  • English: This is a very bad habit, you should change it.
  • Analysis: Here, 坏 is used to describe an abstract concept—a habit.
• Example 4:
  • 昨天我吃了不干净的东西，把肚子吃坏了。
  • Pinyin: Zuótiān wǒ chī le bù gānjìng de dōngxi, bǎ dùzi chī huài le.
  • English: Yesterday I ate something unclean and it upset my stomach.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the verb complement `吃坏 (chīhuài)`. The action `吃 (chī)` resulted in the stomach becoming “bad”.
• Example 5:
  • 你太坏了！竟然骗我！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ tài huài le! Jìngrán piàn wǒ!
  • English: You're so mean/bad! You actually lied to me!
  • Analysis: Shows 坏 used to describe a person's behavior in a specific, negative situation. The tone can be serious or playful depending on the context.
• Example 6:
  • 他不是坏人，只是脾气有点儿不好。
  • Pinyin: Tā búshì huàirén, zhǐshì píqi yǒudiǎnr bù hǎo.
  • English: He's not a bad person, he just has a bit of a bad temper.
  • Analysis: This example distinguishes between being a fundamentally “bad person” (坏人) and having a negative trait (脾气不好).
• Example 7:
  • 小心点，别把我的相机弄坏了。
  • Pinyin: Xiǎoxīn diǎn, bié bǎ wǒ de xiàngjī nòng huài le.
  • English: Be careful, don't break my camera.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the verb complement `弄坏 (nònghuài)`, which means to break something through action or carelessness.
• Example 8:
  • 真坏，我们刚出门就开始下大雨。
  • Pinyin: Zhēn huài, wǒmen gāng chūmén jiù kāishǐ xià dàyǔ.
  • English: How awful, it started pouring rain just as we left the house.
  • Analysis: In this context, 坏 is used like “awful” or “terrible” to describe a situation or piece of bad luck. It's similar to `糟糕 (zāogāo)`.
• Example 9:
  • 那个电影里的反派角色真是坏透了。
  • Pinyin: Nàge diànyǐng lǐ de fǎnpài juésè zhēnshì huài tòu le.
  • English: The villain in that movie was thoroughly evil.
  • Analysis: `坏透了 (huài tòu le)` means “bad to the core” or “completely rotten.” It's a strong way to emphasize how bad something or someone is.
• Example 10:
  • 他冲我坏笑了一下，我不知道他想干什么。
  • Pinyin: Tā chòng wǒ huài xiào le yíxià, wǒ bù zhīdào tā xiǎng gàn shénme.
  • English: He gave me a mischievous/wicked smile, I don't know what he's planning.
  • Analysis: 坏笑 (huài xiào) is a “bad smile,” which can mean anything from mischievous and playful to wicked and sinister, depending on the context.

• `坏 (huài)` vs. `差 (chà)`: This is the most common point of confusion for learners.
  • 坏 (huài) means broken, non-functional, or morally bad.
  • 差 (chà) means poor in quality, lacking, or sub-par.
  • Incorrect: 这个手机很坏。 (Zhè ge shǒujī hěn huài.) - This literally means “This phone is morally evil.”
  • Correct: 这个手机坏了。(Zhè ge shǒujī huài le.) - This phone is broken.
  • Correct: 这个手机的质量很差。(Zhè ge shǒujī de zhìliàng hěn chà.) - This phone's quality is poor.
• `坏 (huài)` vs. `不好 (bù hǎo)`:
  • 不好 (bù hǎo) means “not good.” It's a general, often softer, statement of quality or opinion.
  • 坏 (huài) is stronger and more definitive. It implies something is broken, spoiled, or actively bad.
  • `这个电影不好看 (bù hǎo kàn)` - This movie isn't good (to watch). (A personal opinion).
  • `这是一个坏电影 (huài diànyǐng)` - This is a bad movie. (A stronger judgment, perhaps implying it has negative values).

• 差 (chà) - A crucial counterpart to `坏`. It means “poor quality” or “lacking,” not “broken.”
• 糟糕 (zāogāo) - A common synonym for “terrible” or “awful,” used almost exclusively for situations, not for the moral character of people. “Oh no, I forgot my keys! 糟糕!”
• 破 (pò) - More specific than `坏`, meaning “torn,” “shattered,” or “physically broken.” Used for clothes (衣服破了) or a bowl (碗破了).
• 烂 (làn) - More specific than `坏`, meaning “rotten,” “mushy,” or “overcooked.” Often used for fruit or vegetables. Metaphorically, it can mean “messy” or “terrible.”
• 不好 (bù hǎo) - “Not good.” A more general and often milder way to express negativity.
• 邪恶 (xié'è) - A much stronger, more formal word for “evil” or “wicked.” You'd use this for a supervillain, not a naughty child.
• 坏人 (huàirén) - Noun: A bad person, a villain.
• 好处 / 坏处 (hǎochu / huàichu) - Nouns: Advantage/Disadvantage (lit. “good place” / “bad place”).