不良

• Pinyin: bù liáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 (not) + 良 (good, fine)

Meaning

Bad; harmful; unhealthy. Describes negative qualities or conditions.

Often used in compound phrases like 不良习惯 (bad habits), 不良反应 (adverse reaction), 不良行为 (misconduct). Common in formal, medical, and legal contexts. More formal than 不好.

Examples

1. 长期熬夜会给身体带来不良影响。 Staying up late for a long time will have harmful effects on your body.
2. 这款药物可能会产生一些不良反应，请仔细阅读说明书。 This medication may cause some adverse reactions — please read the instructions carefully.
3. 青少年容易受到不良信息的影响，家长要多加注意。 Teenagers are easily influenced by harmful information, so parents should pay more attention.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, legal, education, media

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 吸烟有不良后果。(Smoking has harmful consequences.)
• 这是不良贷款。(This is a non-performing loan.)

Don't Say

• 在口语中说'这个天气不良'——应该说'天气不好' (Don't say 天气不良 in casual speech — just say 天气不好)

Origin & History

Compound of 不 (not) + 良 (good), where 良 originally meant 'good grain' and extended to mean 'good quality.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal