贪婪

• Pinyin: tān lán
• Hanzi breakdown: 贪 = 今 + 贝; 婪 = 林 (forest) + 女 (woman)

Meaning

Greedy; avaricious; rapacious. Intense, excessive desire especially for wealth or power.

A strongly negative term for extreme greed. More intense than 贪. Often used in literary, moral, or political contexts to criticize exploitation or corruption.

Examples

1. 贪婪的商人为了利润不惜牺牲工人的健康。 Greedy businessmen sacrifice workers' health for profit.
2. 他用贪婪的目光盯着那堆黄金，眼睛都在发光。 He stared at the pile of gold with greedy eyes that were practically glowing.
3. 权力使人贪婪，绝对的权力导致绝对的腐败。 Power makes people greedy; absolute power leads to absolute corruption.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, political, moral

Tone: condemnatory

Do Say

• 贪婪是人性的弱点。(Greed is a weakness of human nature.)
• 不要被贪婪蒙蔽双眼。(Don't let greed blind you.)

Don't Say

• 用'贪婪'形容正常食欲 (贪婪 is for moral/ethical greed — for food cravings, use 贪吃 or 馋)

Origin & History

贪 means greedy, 婪 also means greedy or covetous. The doubling intensifies the meaning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal