傲

• Pinyin: ào
• Hanzi breakdown: 傲 = 亻(person) + 敖 (phonetic)

Meaning

Proud; arrogant; haughty.

Describes a proud or arrogant attitude. Can be negative (looking down on others) or positive (self-respect, refusing to submit). Often combined with other characters for specific meanings.

Examples

1. 他性格很傲，不太好相处。 He has a proud personality and isn't easy to get along with.
2. 她虽然成功了，但一点也不傲。 Although she's successful, she's not arrogant at all.
3. 宁可站着死，不愿跪着生，这就是傲骨。 Better to die standing than live kneeling — that's what proud spirit means.

Usage Guide

Context: personality, description

Tone: evaluative

Do Say

• 他很傲，但有傲的资本。(He's proud, but he has reason to be.)
• 她那傲劲儿，谁都不放在眼里。(With her arrogance, she doesn't take anyone seriously.)

Don't Say

• 把'傲'和'骄傲'完全等同 (傲 alone often implies negative arrogance, while 骄傲 can be positive pride)

Origin & History

Composed of 亻(person) + 敖 (phonetic), meaning proud bearing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal