ěxīn: 恶心 - Nauseous, Disgusting, Vile

• Keywords: 恶心, ěxīn, exin, nauseous in Chinese, disgusting in Chinese, feeling sick Chinese, vile, gross, what does exin mean, Chinese slang, how to say gross in Chinese.
• Summary: Discover the powerful Chinese word 恶心 (ěxīn), a versatile term that bridges the gap between physical sickness and emotional revulsion. Whether you're feeling sick to your stomach from bad food or are utterly disgusted by someone's vile behavior, ěxīn is the word you need. This guide breaks down its core meanings, cultural significance, and practical uses, with plenty of examples to help you master this essential HSK 5 term and understand when to use it for physical nausea versus intense moral disgust.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): ěxīn
• Part of Speech: Adjective / Verb
• HSK Level: 5
• Concise Definition: To feel physically nauseous; to be emotionally disgusting or repulsed.
• In a Nutshell: 恶心 (ěxīn) is a visceral word that links a physical sensation (a churning stomach) to a powerful emotional reaction (moral revulsion). Think of the gut-wrenching feeling you get when you have food poisoning—that's ěxīn. Now, imagine the feeling you get when you witness a cruel or hypocritical act—that's also ěxīn. The word captures the idea that some things are so morally or aesthetically foul that they make you feel physically sick.

• 恶 (ě): This character's primary meaning is “evil,” “bad,” or “vile.” It represents something fundamentally wrong or foul.
• 心 (xīn): This character means “heart,” which in Chinese culture is considered the seat of both thought and emotion.
• Combined Meaning: Together, 恶心 (ěxīn) literally translates to a “vile heart” or a “bad feeling in the heart/core.” This beautifully illustrates the dual meaning: a bad physical feeling in your core (nausea) and the recognition that a person or action is bad at its core (disgusting).

In Chinese, the line between physical sensation and emotional response is often blurred, and 恶心 (ěxīn) is a prime example. The word implies that moral corruption is a kind of sickness that can be felt physically. To an English speaker, it's like combining “nauseous” and “disgusting” into a single, more powerful concept. In English, we might say, “His hypocrisy makes me sick,” but it often feels like a metaphor. In Chinese, 他很恶心 (tā hěn ěxīn) feels more direct and literal; his essence is so vile it triggers a physical response of revulsion. Calling a person 恶心 is a very strong insult in Chinese culture. It's not just saying they are “annoying” (讨厌, tǎoyàn) or that you “dislike” them. It is a direct condemnation of their character, suggesting they are morally rotten, creepy, or fundamentally corrupt. It's an attack on their inner being, their “heart” (心).

恶心 is used frequently in daily life in two primary ways:

This is the literal medical meaning. You can use it when you have motion sickness, morning sickness, food poisoning, or are about to vomit.

• Formality: Neutral
• Connotation: Negative (as sickness is negative)
• Example: After the rollercoaster, I felt really 恶心.

This is the more common and powerful usage in social contexts. It can be directed at a person, an object, a situation, or an idea.

• Formality: Informal
• Connotation: Extremely Negative
• As an Adjective: Describing someone as fundamentally gross or vile. (e.g., “That pervert is so 恶心.”)
• As a Verb: To actively disgust someone. (e.g., “Stop it! You're disgusting me! / 你别恶心我了!”)

• Example 1:
  • 我吃了不干净的东西，现在觉得很恶心。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ chīle bù gānjìng de dōngxi, xiànzài juéde hěn ěxīn.
  • English: I ate something unclean, and now I feel very nauseous.
  • Analysis: This is the most straightforward physical meaning. 觉得 (juéde), “to feel,” is often paired with 恶心.
• Example 2:
  • 你能不能别这么说话？真恶心！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bu néng bié zhème shuōhuà? Zhēn ěxīn!
  • English: Can you please not talk like that? It's really disgusting!
  • Analysis: Here, 恶心 is used as an exclamation to show strong revulsion towards someone's words (perhaps they are being creepy or overly flattering).
• Example 3:
  • 那个男人在地铁上的行为太恶心了。
  • Pinyin: Nàge nánrén zài dìtiě shàng de xíngwéi tài ěxīn le.
  • English: That man's behavior on the subway was so disgusting.
  • Analysis: This describes disgust towards an action. 太…了 (tài…le) is a common pattern to add emphasis.
• Example 4:
  • 别恶心我了！我不想听你那些虚伪的话。
  • Pinyin: Bié ěxīn wǒ le! Wǒ bùxiǎng tīng nǐ nàxiē xūwěi de huà.
  • English: Stop disgusting me! I don't want to listen to your hypocritical words.
  • Analysis: This shows 恶心 used as a verb: “to disgust (someone).” The phrase 别恶心我了 (bié ěxīn wǒ le) is a very common and forceful way to tell someone to stop.
• Example 5:
  • 坐车坐久了，我有点恶心想吐。
  • Pinyin: Zuò chē zuò jiǔ le, wǒ yǒudiǎn ěxīn xiǎng tǔ.
  • English: After being in the car for a long time, I feel a bit nauseous and want to vomit.
  • Analysis: This example clearly links 恶心 (the feeling) with 想吐 (xiǎng tǔ) (the desire to perform the action).
• Example 6:
  • 这部恐怖电影里有很多恶心的镜头。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù kǒngbù diànyǐng lǐ yǒu hěnduō ěxīn de jìngtóu.
  • English: This horror movie has a lot of gross scenes.
  • Analysis: Used here as a simple adjective to describe something visually repulsive or gory.
• Example 7:
  • 他这个人两面三刀，一想起来我就觉得恶心。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén liǎngmiànsāndāo, yī xiǎng qǐlái wǒ jiù juéde ěxīn.
  • English: That guy is so two-faced, I feel disgusted just thinking about it.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of disgust stemming from moral judgment. 两面三刀 (liǎngmiànsāndāo) is an idiom for being two-faced.
• Example 8:
  • 看到厨房地上爬的蟑螂，她感到一阵恶心。
  • Pinyin: Kàndào chúfáng dìshang pá de zhāngláng, tā gǎndào yī zhèn ěxīn.
  • English: Seeing the cockroaches crawling on the kitchen floor, she felt a wave of nausea/disgust.
  • Analysis: 一阵 (yī zhèn) means “a burst of” or “a wave of,” effectively describing a sudden feeling of revulsion.
• Example 9:
  • 我不是讨厌他，我是觉得他恶心。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bùshì tǎoyàn tā, wǒ shì juéde tā ěxīn.
  • English: It's not that I dislike him, it's that I find him vile.
  • Analysis: This sentence explicitly contrasts 恶心 with the weaker term 讨厌 (tǎoyàn - to dislike), highlighting its much greater intensity.
• Example 10:
  • 这种为了钱什么都做的行为，实在是太恶心了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng wèile qián shénme dōu zuò de xíngwéi, shízài shì tài ěxīn le.
  • English: This kind of behavior, doing anything for money, is truly disgusting.
  • Analysis: This shows disgust for a concept or a type of behavior, showing its use for abstract ideas.

• Mistake 1: Confusing 恶心 (ěxīn) with 难受 (nánshòu).
  • 难受 (nánshòu) means “uncomfortable,” “unwell,” or “sad.” It's a very general term. A headache makes you 难受. A breakup makes you 难受.
  • 恶心 (ěxīn) is specific. It's either physical nausea or deep revulsion. You wouldn't say you feel 恶心 because you have a headache.
  • Incorrect: 我头疼，很恶心。 (Wǒ tóuténg, hěn ěxīn.) → My head hurts, I'm very nauseous. (Wrong connection)
  • Correct: 我头疼，很难受。 (Wǒ tóuténg, hěn nánshòu.) → My head hurts, I feel unwell.
• Mistake 2: Underestimating its strength as an insult.
  • In English, you might say “Ugh, you're annoying.” In Chinese, if you say 你真恶心 (Nǐ zhēn ěxīn), it's not “you're annoying.” It's “you're truly vile/disgusting/a creep.” It is a powerful insult that can seriously damage a relationship. Use it with caution when referring to people.
• The dual meaning is key: The most common mistake is failing to grasp that the same word is used for both contexts. A learner might be surprised to hear someone use the “I feel sick” word as a harsh insult. Understanding the “vile heart” etymology helps connect these two powerful meanings.

• 想吐 (xiǎng tǔ) - To feel like vomiting. The direct physical consequence of feeling 恶心.
• 难受 (nánshòu) - Uncomfortable; sad; unwell. A much broader and less specific term for feeling bad.
• 讨厌 (tǎoyàn) - To dislike; annoying. A far weaker level of negative feeling than 恶心.
• 反感 (fǎngǎn) - Aversion; antipathy. A more formal and intellectual “disgust” than the visceral feeling of 恶心.
• 变态 (biàntài) - Perverted; abnormal. Describes a person or behavior that is often considered 恶心.
• 肉麻 (ròumá) - Cringey; sappy; overly sentimental. Behavior that is 肉麻 can make someone feel 恶心.
• 呕吐 (ǒutù) - To vomit. The formal, medical term for the action of throwing up, which is caused by feeling 恶心.
• 可恶 (kěwù) - Hateful; abominable. Describes something that inspires hate, which is a close cousin of the revulsion felt with 恶心.