jídù: 嫉妒 - Jealous, Envious

• Keywords: jidu, jídù, 嫉妒, Chinese for jealous, Chinese for envy, what is jidu, how to say jealous in Chinese, envy vs jealousy in Chinese, 羡慕 vs 嫉妒, 吃醋, red eye disease Chinese, 嫉妒心
• Summary: Learn the Chinese word for jealousy and envy, 嫉妒 (jídù). This comprehensive guide explores its deep cultural meaning, how it differs from simple admiration (羡慕, xiànmù), and its modern usage in relationships, at work, and on social media. Understand why this powerful emotion is viewed so negatively in Chinese culture and learn how to use it correctly with practical examples.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jídù
• Part of Speech: Verb / Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To be jealous of or envious of someone's advantages, achievements, or relationships, often with a feeling of resentment or bitterness.
• In a Nutshell: 嫉妒 (jídù) is the “green-eyed monster” in Chinese. It's a strong, negative emotion that goes beyond simply wanting what someone else has. It implies that you feel unhappy, resentful, or even hostile because someone else possesses something you lack—whether it's success, a happy relationship, or a material possession. Think of it as “malicious envy.”

• 嫉 (jí): This character is composed of the “woman” radical 女 (nǚ) and a phonetic component 疾 (jí), which means “illness” or “hatred.” Historically, this character was associated with the intense rivalries between women in imperial courts, framing jealousy as a kind of sickness or deep-seated animosity.
• 妒 (dù): This character also features the “woman” radical 女 (nǚ) on the left. The right side, 户 (hù), means “household.” The combination suggests a possessive, territorial feeling within a domestic space, again historically alluding to conflicts over status or affection within a family or household.

When combined, 嫉妒 (jídù) paints a picture of a powerful, consuming, and negative emotion rooted in resentment and rivalry. The presence of the 女 radical in both characters reflects ancient societal structures but the term is now used by and for people of all genders.

In Chinese culture, which highly values social harmony (和谐, héxié) and modesty, 嫉妒 (jídù) is considered a particularly toxic and disruptive emotion. It's not just a personal feeling but a potential threat to group cohesion and relationships. Openly displaying `嫉妒` is a major social faux pas, as it reveals poor character and a lack of self-control. A crucial cultural distinction is its relationship with 羡慕 (xiànmù), which means “to admire” or “to be envious of” in a positive way.

• Western concept: In English, “I'm so jealous of your new job!” can be a lighthearted compliment. It often means “I'm happy for you and I wish I had a great job like that too.”
• Chinese concept: Directly translating this compliment using `嫉妒` (`我好嫉妒你的新工作！`) would sound alarming. It implies you resent the person for their success. The correct, positive expression is `我好羡慕你！` (Wǒ hǎo xiànmù nǐ! - “I really admire you/I'm so envious!”).

`嫉妒` is seen as a destructive force that can lead to gossip, backstabbing, and breaking relationships, while `羡慕` can be a motivator for self-improvement.

`嫉妒` is a strong word used to describe a genuinely negative feeling.

• In Romantic Relationships: This is a common context. However, the more casual, everyday term for romantic jealousy is 吃醋 (chīcù), which literally means “to eat vinegar.” `嫉妒` is used for more intense, serious situations of romantic jealousy.
• At Work or School: Someone might `嫉妒` a colleague who got a promotion or a classmate who consistently gets better grades. This implies they feel the person's success is undeserved or that it makes them feel inferior and bitter.
• Social Media and Materialism: The rise of social media has created a new venue for `嫉妒`. People might feel `嫉妒` seeing others post about lavish vacations, expensive purchases, or seemingly perfect lives. The slang term 红眼病 (hóngyǎnbìng - “red-eye disease”) is often used in this context to describe envy of wealth.
• As a Character Trait: The noun 嫉妒心 (jídùxīn), meaning “jealous heart/mind,” is often used to describe someone's tendency to be a jealous person. For example, `他的嫉妒心太强了` (Tā de jídùxīn tài qiáng le) means “His jealousy is too strong.”

• Example 1:
  • 他嫉妒我的成功。
  • Pinyin: Tā jídù wǒ de chénggōng.
  • English: He is jealous of my success.
  • Analysis: A straightforward example of using `嫉妒` as a verb. The feeling is negative; he doesn't just admire the success, he resents it.
• Example 2:
  • 我承认，我有点儿嫉妒她和老板的关系那么好。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ chéngrèn, wǒ yǒudiǎnr jídù tā hé lǎobǎn de guānxì nàme hǎo.
  • English: I admit, I'm a little jealous that her relationship with the boss is so good.
  • Analysis: `有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr)` softens the emotion slightly, but it's still a confession of a negative feeling of resentment.
• Example 3:
  • 你不应该嫉妒别人所拥有的东西。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bù yīnggāi jídù biérén suǒ yōngyǒu de dōngxī.
  • English: You shouldn't be jealous of what other people have.
  • Analysis: This sentence gives advice, framing `嫉妒` as an undesirable action or state of mind.
• Example 4:
  • 她的嫉妒心很强，所以没什么朋友。
  • Pinyin: Tā de jídùxīn hěn qiáng, suǒyǐ méishénme péngyǒu.
  • English: Her jealousy is very strong, so she doesn't have many friends.
  • Analysis: This uses the noun form `嫉妒心 (jídùxīn)` to describe a character trait that has negative social consequences.
• Example 5:
  • 看到前男友有了新女友，她心里充满了嫉妒。
  • Pinyin: Kàndào qián nányǒu yǒu le xīn nǚyǒu, tā xīnli chōngmǎnle jídù.
  • English: Seeing that her ex-boyfriend had a new girlfriend, her heart was filled with jealousy.
  • Analysis: This example illustrates how `嫉妒` can be used as a noun to describe the emotion itself. `充满了 (chōngmǎnle)` means “filled with.”
• Example 6:
  • 我不是嫉妒你，我只是羡慕你能去旅行。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bùshì jídù nǐ, wǒ zhǐshì xiànmù nǐ néng qù lǚxíng.
  • English: I'm not jealous of you, I just envy that you get to travel.
  • Analysis: This is a perfect sentence to show the direct contrast between `嫉妒` (negative resentment) and `羡慕` (positive admiration/envy).
• Example 7:
  • 出于嫉妒，他在背后说同事的坏话。
  • Pinyin: Chūyú jídù, tā zài bèihòu shuō tóngshì de huàihuà.
  • English: Out of jealousy, he spoke ill of his colleague behind his back.
  • Analysis: `出于 (chūyú)` means “out of” or “stemming from,” showing `嫉妒` as the motivation for a negative action.
• Example 8:
  • 他的才华引起了同事们的嫉妒。
  • Pinyin: Tā de cáihuá yǐnqǐle tóngshìmen de jídù.
  • English: His talent aroused the jealousy of his colleagues.
  • Analysis: Here, `嫉妒` is the object of the verb `引起 (yǐnqǐ)`, which means “to cause” or “to arouse.”
• Example 9:
  • 别因为一点小事就嫉妒。
  • Pinyin: Bié yīnwèi yīdiǎn xiǎoshì jiù jídù.
  • English: Don't get jealous over a small matter.
  • Analysis: A common piece of advice, telling someone not to overreact with such a strong, negative emotion.
• Example 10:
  • 网上很多人喜欢炫富，这很容易让人产生嫉妒心理。
  • Pinyin: Wǎngshàng hěnduō rén xǐhuān xuànfù, zhè hěn róngyì ràng rén chǎnshēng jídù xīnlǐ.
  • English: A lot of people online like to flaunt their wealth, which can easily make people feel jealous.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses `嫉妒心理 (jídù xīnlǐ)`, meaning “a jealous mentality/psychology,” to describe the feeling that arises from social comparison.

The most common mistake for English speakers is using 嫉妒 (jídù) when they mean 羡慕 (xiànmù). In English, “jealous” can be used casually to mean “I admire what you have and wish I had it too.” In Chinese, `嫉妒` is almost never used this way. It implies bitterness and resentment. Incorrect Usage: You see your friend's beautiful new apartment and say:

• `你的公寓真漂亮，我好嫉妒你！`
• (Nǐ de gōngyù zhēn piàoliang, wǒ hǎo jídù nǐ!)
• Why it's wrong: This sounds like you are angry or resentful that your friend has a nice apartment. It's intense and negative, and will make your friend feel very uncomfortable.

Correct Usage: To express positive envy or admiration, you must use `羡慕 (xiànmù)`.

• `你的公寓真漂亮，我好羡慕你！`
• (Nǐ de gōngyù zhēn piàoliang, wǒ hǎo xiànmù nǐ!)
• Why it's right: This correctly conveys, “Your apartment is beautiful, I'm happy for you and wish I had one like it!” It's a warm and friendly compliment.

Rule of Thumb: If the feeling is positive or a friendly compliment, use `羡慕 (xiànmù)`. If the feeling is genuinely negative, dark, and resentful, use `嫉妒 (jídù)`.

• 羡慕 (xiànmù) - The direct and positive counterpart to `嫉妒`. It means to admire or have benign envy for what someone has.
• 吃醋 (chīcù) - Literally “to eat vinegar.” This is the common, informal slang for being jealous in a romantic context. It's more playful and less severe than `嫉妒`.
• 嫉妒心 (jídùxīn) - The noun form, meaning “jealousy” as a personal quality or trait (e.g., “a heart of jealousy”).
• 红眼病 (hóngyǎnbìng) - Literally “red-eye disease.” A very common slang term for being jealous of someone's wealth or material success.
• 恨 (hèn) - To hate. A powerful emotion that `嫉妒` can often escalate into.
• 攀比 (pānbǐ) - The act of comparing oneself to others, especially in terms of social status or material possessions. This behavior is seen as the root cause of `嫉妒`.
• 羡慕嫉妒恨 (xiànmù jídù hèn) - A popular internet slang phrase describing the progression of feelings: starting with admiration (`羡慕`), which turns into malicious envy (`嫉妒`), and finally into outright hatred (`恨`).