恶

• 拼音: è
• 汉字拆解: 恶 = 亚 (sub-standard, phonetic component) + 心 (heart) — a heart that is beneath the moral standard

含义

Evil; wicked; malicious. The quality of being morally reprehensible or harmful; the opposite of 善 (good).

恶 functions as both adjective and noun in classical and modern Chinese. As a standalone term, it contrasts with 善 (good) in philosophical discourse. It forms the root of many compounds: 恶意 (malice), 恶劣 (terrible), 恶化 (deteriorate). A fundamental term in Chinese ethics and literature.

例句

1. 中国传统哲学对人性善恶的争论持续了数千年，至今仍未有定论。
2. 法律的功能之一，正是通过惩罚恶行来维护社会的公正秩序。
3. 他在外表上伪装得极为善良，实则内心充满恶念，令认识他的人后来无不感到不寒而栗。

用法指南

语境: philosophy, morality, law, literature

语气: serious

正确说法

• 儒家思想认为，人性本善，恶的出现源于后天环境的影响与个人修身的缺失，并非人的天然本质。(Confucian thought holds that human nature is inherently good; the emergence of evil originates from the influence of the acquired environment and the failure of personal self-cultivation, not from one's innate nature.)
• 在这场道德哲学讨论中，学者们探讨了恶的本质：究竟是行为本身构成了恶，还是行为背后的意图与动机才是恶的根源。(In this moral philosophy discussion, scholars explored the nature of evil: whether it is the act itself that constitutes evil, or whether the intention and motive behind the act is the true root of evil.)

错误说法

• 这道菜的味道很恶 — while 恶心 (nauseating) exists as a set phrase, 恶 alone for bad taste is not standard; use 难吃 for unpleasant food; 恶 as a standalone adjective belongs in ethical or philosophical contexts

起源与历史

Pictophonetic character — 亚 (sub-standard/ugly, phonetic) + 心 (heart) — a heart that falls below the standard of goodness

文化背景

时代: Classical to Modern

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal