fǔlàn: 腐烂 - To Rot, Decompose, Decay; Corrupt

• Keywords: fǔlàn, 腐烂, rot, decay, decompose, corrupt Chinese, spoil food Chinese, moral decay, Chinese vocabulary, learn Chinese, HSK 5
• Summary: Learn the Chinese word 腐烂 (fǔlàn), a powerful term that means “to rot” or “decay.” This guide explores its literal use for things like spoiled food and rotten wood, as well as its potent figurative meaning to describe moral corruption, a decadent lifestyle, or a decaying system. Understand the character origins, cultural significance, and practical usage of 腐烂 to add a deeply descriptive word to your vocabulary.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fǔlàn
• Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To rot, decompose, or decay; to be corrupt or degenerate.
• In a Nutshell: At its heart, 腐烂 (fǔlàn) is the word for physical rot. Think of a piece of fruit left out for too long or an old log in a damp forest—that process of breaking down and decaying is 腐烂. But its meaning goes deeper. Metaphorically, it describes anything that is “rotting” from the inside out, such as a person's morals, a relationship, or even an entire social system. It carries a strong, negative, and often visceral feeling of something good having turned bad and fallen apart.

• 腐 (fǔ): This character is a great example of pictorial logic. The top part, 府 (fǔ), was an ancient word for a repository or official building. The bottom part, 肉 (ròu), means “meat” or “flesh”. Imagine meat (肉) left in a storehouse (府) for too long—it will inevitably rot. Thus, 腐 means “to rot” or “decay.”
• 烂 (làn): This character's radical is 火 (huǒ), meaning “fire”. The rest is a phonetic component. The character evokes a sense of being destroyed, broken down, mashed, or “cooked to a pulp.” It implies a state of being soft, mushy, and falling apart.

When combined, 腐烂 (fǔlàn) creates a vivid and intense image of complete decomposition. 腐 describes the process of rotting, while 烂 describes the resulting state of being mushy and broken down.

The concept of 腐烂 (fǔlàn) is powerful in Chinese culture because it bridges the physical and moral worlds so effectively. While the literal meaning is universal, its figurative use is particularly important in social and political commentary. In Chinese discourse, describing a system, organization, or lifestyle as 腐烂 is a severe condemnation. It's not just saying something is “inefficient” or “bad”; it's saying it is morally diseased and rotten to the core. This reflects a deep-seated cultural value placed on integrity, purity, and soundness, whether in a person or a government. To compare, in Western culture, we might say a system is “broken” or “corrupt.” While “rotten to the core” is a similar English idiom, the use of 腐烂 in Chinese feels more common and carries a visceral weight. It implies a natural but disgusting process of decline that must be cut out to prevent it from spreading, much like one would throw away a rotting apple to save the rest in the barrel. This term is often used in campaigns against 腐败 (fǔbài), or official corruption, painting a picture of a moral sickness that needs to be cured.

腐烂 is a versatile word used in both everyday situations and serious discussions.

• Literal / Everyday Use: This is the most common usage. You'll hear it when talking about food that has gone bad or organic materials that are decomposing.
  • e.g., “这些水果开始腐烂了。” (These fruits are starting to rot.)
• Figurative / Abstract Use: This usage is much stronger and more judgmental. It's found in literature, news, and serious conversations about society and morality.
  • Describing Morality and Lifestyle: It can describe a person or a lifestyle that is seen as decadent, depraved, and without morals. A “腐烂的生活” (fǔlàn de shēnghuó) is a life of hedonism and decay.
  • Social & Political Critique: This is its most potent use. It can describe a government, institution, or social system that is irredeemably corrupt and decaying from within. This is a very heavy criticism.

Because of its strength, be mindful when using the figurative meaning. It's not a light-hearted word and implies serious moral condemnation.

• Example 1:
  • 放在冰箱外的肉很快就腐烂了。
  • Pinyin: Fàng zài bīngxiāng wài de ròu hěn kuài jiù fǔlàn le.
  • English: The meat left outside the refrigerator quickly rotted.
  • Analysis: A straightforward, literal use of the word. This is how you'll most commonly hear 腐烂 in daily life.
• Example 2:
  • 老房子的木头地板已经腐烂了，我们得换掉它。
  • Pinyin: Lǎo fángzi de mùtou dìbǎn yǐjīng fǔlàn le, wǒmen děi huàn diào tā.
  • English: The wooden floor of the old house has rotted; we have to replace it.
  • Analysis: Another literal example, this time applied to wood. It implies a slow process of decomposition over time.
• Example 3:
  • 如果不及时处理，伤口可能会感染腐烂。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ bù jíshí chǔlǐ, shāngkǒu kěnéng huì gǎnrǎn fǔlàn.
  • English: If not treated in time, the wound might get infected and become necrotic (rot).
  • Analysis: A medical context. Here, 腐烂 is used to describe decaying flesh, showing its graphic and serious nature.
• Example 4:
  • 他过着一种非常腐烂的生活，每天就是喝酒赌博。
  • Pinyin: Tā guòzhe yī zhǒng fēicháng fǔlàn de shēnghuó, měitiān jiùshì hējiǔ dǔbó.
  • English: He lives a very degenerate/corrupt lifestyle, just drinking and gambling every day.
  • Analysis: A powerful figurative use. It's not just a “bad” life; it's a morally rotten one. This is a strong judgment.
• Example 5:
  • 一些批评者认为，这个旧的官僚体系已经从内部腐烂了。
  • Pinyin: Yīxiē pīpíng zhě rènwéi, zhège jiù de guānliáo tǐxì yǐjīng cóng nèibù fǔlàn le.
  • English: Some critics believe this old bureaucratic system has rotted from the inside.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example of using 腐烂 for political critique. It suggests the entire system is unsalvageable, not just flawed.
• Example 6:
  • 苹果堆里只要有一个腐烂的，很快就会影响到其他的。
  • Pinyin: Píngguǒ duī lǐ zhǐyào yǒu yīgè fǔlàn de, hěn kuài jiù huì yǐngxiǎng dào qítā de.
  • English: As long as there is one rotten apple in the pile, it will quickly affect the others.
  • Analysis: This sentence works both literally and as a well-known metaphor, just like in English. 腐烂 is used here as an adjective.
• Example 7:
  • 他们的关系早已腐烂，只剩下互相指责。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen de guānxì zǎoyǐ fǔlàn, zhǐ shèng xià hùxiāng zhǐzé.
  • English: Their relationship had long since decayed, with nothing left but mutual accusations.
  • Analysis: Here, 腐烂 is used to describe the death of something abstract, like a relationship. It implies it has gone past “bad” and is now toxic and decomposed.
• Example 8:
  • 空气中弥漫着树叶腐烂的气味。
  • Pinyin: Kōngqì zhōng mímànzhe shùyè fǔlàn de qìwèi.
  • English: The air was filled with the smell of rotting leaves.
  • Analysis: This shows how 腐烂 can be used to modify another noun (气味 - qìwèi, “smell”) to create a very specific sensory image.
• Example 9:
  • 他认为现代艺术中充满了腐烂和绝望的主题。
  • Pinyin: Tā rènwéi xiàndài yìshù zhōng chōngmǎnle fǔlàn hé juéwàng de zhǔtí.
  • English: He believes that modern art is full of themes of decay and despair.
  • Analysis: A literary or academic use of the word, describing an abstract concept (“theme”).
• Example 10:
  • 一个健康的社会必须能够清除其腐烂的部分。
  • Pinyin: Yīgè jiànkāng de shèhuì bìxū nénggòu qīngchú qí fǔlàn de bùfèn.
  • English: A healthy society must be able to purge its rotten parts.
  • Analysis: A strong, figurative statement about social health. The “rotten parts” (腐烂的部分) clearly refers to corrupt or harmful elements within society.

• 腐烂 (fǔlàn) vs. 坏 (huài): This is a key distinction for beginners. 坏 (huài) means “bad,” “broken,” or “spoiled.” It's a very general term. While you can say 食物坏了 (shíwù huài le) for “the food went bad,” 腐烂 is more descriptive and specifically means “to rot/decompose.” You would use 坏 for a broken phone (手机坏了), but never 腐烂. Think of 腐烂 as a specific, more vivid type of 坏.
• 腐烂 (fǔlàn) vs. 腐败 (fǔbài): This is the most important nuance for the figurative meaning.
  • 腐败 (fǔbài) is the standard, formal term for corruption, especially institutional or official corruption. It's an adjective or noun. (e.g., 反对政府腐败 - fǎnduì zhèngfǔ fǔbài - to oppose government corruption).
  • 腐烂 (fǔlàn) is a more visceral, descriptive word for decay or rot. When used figuratively, it describes a state of moral decay that can apply to a person, a lifestyle, or a system. While a system can be 腐败, you might describe its state as having 腐烂.
  • Incorrect: “那个官员很腐烂。” (The official is very rotten.) → This sounds awkward.
  • Correct: “那个官员很腐败。” (The official is very corrupt.)
  • Correct: “他的灵魂已经腐烂了。” (His soul has already rotted.)

• 坏 (huài) - A general term for “bad,” “broken,” or “spoiled.” Less specific and less intense than 腐烂.
• 腐败 (fǔbài) - The formal term for “corruption,” particularly in government or business. It's a specific type of figurative decay.
• 变质 (biànzhì) - To spoil, go bad, or deteriorate. Often used for foods like milk or oil where the chemical quality has changed.
• 发霉 (fāméi) - To grow moldy, to get mildew. A very specific type of decay that is visible as mold.
• 堕落 (duòluò) - To degenerate, to become depraved, to fall from grace. A moral equivalent that focuses on the action of “falling” into a lower moral state.
• 糜烂 (mílàn) - Even stronger than 腐烂. Literally “mushy and rotten.” Medically, it refers to ulceration or severe erosion. Figuratively, it describes a life of utter chaos and dissipation.
• 新鲜 (xīnxiān) - Fresh. The direct antonym of 腐烂 in its literal sense.
• 陈旧 (chénjiù) - Old, outdated, obsolete. Describes something that is old but not necessarily in a state of decay.