糟糕

• Pinyin: zāo gāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 糟 = bad/messy; 糕 = 米 + 羔, cake (phonetic element)

Meaning

Terrible; awful; too bad. An exclamation expressing dismay or describing bad situations.

More emphatic than just 糟. Used both as an exclamation ('Oh no!') and as an adjective ('terrible'). Common expressions: 真糟糕 (how terrible), 太糟糕了 (too awful). Colloquial and widely used.

Examples

1. 糟糕，我把手机落在出租车上了！ Oh no, I left my phone in the taxi!
2. 这次考试考得真糟糕。 I did terribly on this exam.
3. 糟糕的天气影响了我们的旅行计划。 The terrible weather affected our travel plans.

Usage Guide

Context: exclamations, complaints, problems

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 糟糕！我错过火车了！(Oh no! I missed the train!)
• 事情变得很糟糕。(Things have become terrible.)

Don't Say

• 糟糕的他 (Don't use to describe people directly — describe their actions or situation instead)

Origin & History

Reduplication of 糟 for emphasis. The 糕 (cake) is phonetic, creating a two-syllable word.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal