huài
adjective HSK 1 #433

Meanings

  1. 1 bad
  2. 2 broken
  3. 3 spoiled

Examples

Zhè ge rén hěn huài.
This person is very bad.
Diànnǎo huài le.
The computer is broken.
Zhè ge píngguǒ huài le.
This apple has gone bad.

Tips

grammar
can mean 'broken' (for things), 'spoiled' (for food), or 'ruined' (for situations). The indicates a change of state.

Components

radical
earth; soil
Left earth radical — the indexing component. The simplified was rebuilt from the cursive shape of traditional (which had a much more elaborate right side meaning to ruin/demolish). here carries the flavor of crumbling soil, dirt-pile, things falling apart and reduced to mud.
phonetic
not; no
Right — a clean visual mnemonic ( + = 'not earth/not good') even though etymologically it's a stand-in for the much more complex right side of . The negation reading lines up beautifully with the 'bad/broken' meaning. Sound-wise, bù → huài has no direct relation; treat as a memory hook rather than a phonetic.

Stroke Order

huài