劣

劣 U+52A3, 劣 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-52A3 ← 劢 [U+52A2] CJK Unified Ideographs 劤 → [U+52A4]

劣 U+F99D, 劣 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F99D ← 列 [U+F99C] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 咽 → [U+F99E]

Translingual

Alternative forms

• A CJK compatibility ideograph exists at U+F99D with no change in composition.
• Note that in Japanese Kanji, Korean Hanja and Vietnamese Nom, the middle stroke of the top component 小 is written 亅 with a hook whereas in modern Chinese scripts the middle stroke is written 丨 with no downward hook.

Han character

劣 (Kangxi radical 19, 力+4, 6 strokes, cangjie input 火竹大尸 (FHKS), four-corner 9042₇, composition ⿱少力)

Derived characters

• 挘, 㭞, 𨦒, 𨾻, 𩷈, 𠢣, 𠣇, 𬏩

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 146, character 17
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 2302
• Dae Jaweon: page 330, character 6
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 367, character 5
• Unihan data for U+52A3

• Unihan data for U+F99D

Chinese

simp. and trad.		劣

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 劣
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) : 少 (“little, less”) + 力 (“strength”). 少 (OC *hmjewʔ, *hmjews) also functions as phonetic.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): liè, lüè (lie⁴, lüe⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄝˋ, ㄌㄩㄝˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): nie² / ne²

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): lüě

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): lie̊q

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): lyut³ / lyut⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lut²

• Gan (Wiktionary): liet⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): lot

  (Hailu, HRS): lod^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): lod⁵

• Jin (Wiktionary): lyeh⁴
• Northern Min (KCR): lṳĕ
• Eastern Min (BUC): luók
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): loa̍t / loat / lia̍t

  (Teochew, Peng'im): luag⁴ / luêg⁴

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): luag⁴

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁸liq / ⁸laq
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): lie⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: liè
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄝˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: liè
    • Wade–Giles: lieh⁴
    • Yale: lyè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lieh
    • Palladius: ле (le)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯ɛ⁵¹/
      
  • (Beijing dialect, colloquial)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lüè
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄩㄝˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lyuè
    • Wade–Giles: lüeh⁴
    • Yale: lywè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liueh
    • Palladius: люэ (ljue)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ly̯ɛ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: nie² / ne²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lie / le
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /niɛ²¹/, /nɛ²¹/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: lüě
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lyɛ²¹/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: lie̊q
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): lieq⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lieʔ⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: lyut³ / lyut⁶
    • Yale: lyut / lyuht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lyt⁸ / lyt⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: lüd³ / lüd⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lyːt̚³/, /lyːt̚²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lut²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lut̚⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: liet⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liɛt̚⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lot
    • Hakka Romanization System: lod^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: lod⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /lot̚²/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: lod^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /lot²/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: lod⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /lɔt̚¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: lyeh⁴
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /lyəʔ²/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: lṳĕ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lyɛ²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: luók
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃uɔʔ²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: loa̍t
    • Tâi-lô: lua̍t
    • Phofsit Daibuun: loat
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /luat̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /luat̚⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: loat
    • Tâi-lô: luat
    • Phofsit Daibuun: load
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /luat̚⁵/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lia̍t
    • Tâi-lô: lia̍t
    • Phofsit Daibuun: liat
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /liɛt̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /liɛt̚⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: luag⁴ / luêg⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: luak / luek
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /luak̚²/, /luek̚²/

Note:

• luag4 - Shantou;
• luêg4 - Chaozhou.

• (Leizhou)
  • Leizhou Pinyin: luag⁴
  • Sinological IPA: /luak̚⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁸liq
    • MiniDict: lih^入
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁵liq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /liɪʔ¹²/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /liɪʔ²³/
  • (Northern: Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁸laq
    • MiniDict: leh^入
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /lɑʔ²³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: lie⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯e̞²⁴/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 劣
Mandarin	Beijing	/lyɛ⁵¹/ /liɛ⁵¹/
	Harbin	/liɛ²¹³/
	Tianjin	/lie⁵³/
	Jinan	/liə²¹/
	Qingdao	/liə⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/lyo²⁴/
	Xi'an	/lyɛ²¹/
	Xining	/lɨ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/lie¹³/
	Lanzhou	/lyə¹³/
	Ürümqi	/lyɤ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/nie²¹³/
	Chengdu	/nie³¹/ /ne³¹/
	Guiyang	/nie²¹/
	Kunming	/liɛ³¹/
	Nanjing	/lieʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/liɐʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/lyəʔ²/
	Pingyao	/liʌʔ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/liaʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/liɪʔ¹/
	Suzhou	/liəʔ³/
	Hangzhou	/lɑʔ²/
	Wenzhou	/le²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/le²²/
	Tunxi	/liɛ¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/lie²⁴/
	Xiangtan	/nie²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/liɛʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/lot̚¹/
	Taoyuan
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/lyt̚³/
	Nanning	/lyt̚³³/
	Hong Kong	/lyt̚³/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/luat̚⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/luɔʔ²³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/lyɛ²⁴/ /liɛ²⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/luak̚²/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/luak̚⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: ljwet

Rime
Character	劣
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	薛 (82)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	力輟切
Baxter	ljwet
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/liuᴇt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/lʷiɛt̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ljuæt̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lwiat̚/
Li Rong	/liuɛt̚/
Wang Li	/lĭuɛt̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/li̯wɛt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lüè
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lyut6

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*rod/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	劣
Reading #	1/1
No.	8142
Phonetic component	劣
Rime group	月
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	劣
Old Chinese	/*rod/
Notes	力少會意，說文少聲非

Definitions

劣

1. (literary, or in compounds) small and weak; puny
2. (literary, or in compounds) bad; poor; inferior
3. (literary, or in compounds) slightly

Synonyms

• (small and weak): 弱小 (ruòxiǎo)
• (bad):

edit

• 不善 (bùshàn)
• 不好
• 不妙 (bùmiào)
• 不怎麼樣 / 不怎么样 (bùzěnmeyàng)
• 不濟 / 不济 (bùjì)
• 不腆 (bùtiǎn) (Classical Chinese, self-deprecatory)
• 了丁 (Min Nan)
• 低下 (dīxià)
• 低劣 (dīliè)
• 低路 (Min Nan)
• 垃圾 (lājī) (colloquial)
• 屎 (Cantonese)
• 差 (chà)
• 差勁 / 差劲 (chàjìn) (colloquial)
• 差氣 / 差气 (Hokkien)
• 拙劣 (zhuōliè)
• 推扳 (¹the-pe) (Shanghainese)
• 梢跤 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 梢跤軟蹄 / 梢跤软蹄 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 梢蹬 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 欠佳 (qiànjiā)
• 水皮 (seoi² pei⁴) (Cantonese)
• 潮 (cháo) (colloquial, of quality or technique)
• 無良 / 无良 (wúliáng) (formal)
• 破 (pò) (colloquial)
• 跤梢 (Xiamen Hokkien)
• 蹩腳 / 蹩脚 (biéjiǎo)
• 鄙劣 (bǐliè) (literary)

 

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “bad”): 優／优 (yōu)

Compounds

• 下劣 (xiàliè)
• 不劣方頭 / 不劣方头
• 乖劣
• 了劣
• 低劣 (dīliè)
• 優劣 / 优劣 (yōuliè)
• 優勝劣敗 / 优胜劣败
• 劣勢 / 劣势 (lièshì)
• 劣化 (lièhuà)
• 劣化警報 / 劣化警报
• 劣匠
• 劣品
• 劣弧
• 劣怯
• 劣性
• 劣憋
• 劣把
• 劣把頭 / 劣把头
• 劣敗 / 劣败
• 劣株
• 劣根性 (liègēnxìng)
• 劣比
• 劣相
• 劣種 / 劣种 (lièzhǒng)
• 劣等 (lièděng)
• 劣筆 / 劣笔
• 劣等生 (lièděngshēng)
• 劣紳 / 劣绅 (lièshēn)
• 劣缺
• 劣缺搊搜 / 劣缺𫼝搜
• 劣藥 / 劣药
• 劣行 (lièxíng)
• 劣角
• 劣貨 / 劣货
• 劣質 / 劣质 (lièzhì)
• 劣跡 / 劣迹 (lièjì)
• 劣跡昭著 / 劣迹昭着
• 劣蹶
• 劣酒
• 劣馬 / 劣马
• 卑劣 (bēiliè)
• 卑劣手段
• 土豪劣紳 / 土豪劣绅 (tǔháo lièshēn)
• 惡劣 / 恶劣 (èliè)
• 愚劣
• 憋劣
• 拙劣 (zhuōliè)
• 方頭不劣 / 方头不劣
• 日趨惡劣 / 日趋恶劣
• 狠劣
• 窳劣 (yǔliè)
• 粗劣 (cūliè)
• 粗衣劣食
• 羸劣
• 臞劣
• 蕪劣 / 芜劣
• 薄劣
• 闇劣 / 暗劣
• 陋劣
• 頑劣 / 顽劣 (wánliè)

 

Japanese

Kanji

劣

(Jōyō kanji)

1. bad, poor, inferior

Readings

• Go-on: れち (rechi)
• Kan-on: れつ (retsu, Jōyō)
• Kun: おとる (otoru, 劣る, Jōyō)

Compounds

• 劣(れつ)悪(あく) (retsuaku)
• 劣(れつ)位(い) (retsui)
• 劣(れつ)後(ご) (retsugo)
• 劣(れっ)等(とう) (rettō)
• 愚(ぐ)劣(れつ) (guretsu)
• 下(げ)劣(れつ) (geretsu)
• 拙(せつ)劣(れつ) (setsuretsu)
• 卑(ひ)劣(れつ) (hiretsu)
• 優(ゆう)劣(れつ) (yūretsu)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 劣 (MC ljwet).

Historical readings

• Recorded as Middle Korean ᄅᆑᇙ〮 (Yale: lyuyelq) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
• Recorded as Middle Korean 렬 (lyel) (Yale: lyel) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.
• Recorded as Middle Korean 녈 (nyel) (Yale: nyel) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾjʌ̹ɭ] ~ [jʌ̹ɭ]
• Phonetic hangul: [렬/열]

Hanja

Wikisource

劣 (eumhun 못할 렬 (mothal ryeol), word-initial (South Korea) 못할 열 (mothal yeol))

1. hanja form^? of [[렬/열#Korean:_劣|렬/열]] (“bad; poor”)
2. hanja form^? of [[렬/열#Korean:_劣|렬/열]] (“inferior”)
   • 1929, 신채호 [Han: 申采浩, Sin Chaeho], 조선사 연구 초 [Joseonsayeon-gucho, Han: 朝鮮史硏究草, Exploratory Studies in Korean History]:

     이는 彼等피등 諸史제사의 價値가치가 모두 《三國史記》삼국사기보다 劣열한 明證명증이 아닌가?

     Ineun pideung jesaui gachiga modu Samguksagiboda yeolhan myeongjeung-i anin-ga?

     Wouldn't it be clear evidence that the value of all those historical records is inferior to the Samguk sagi?

Compounds

Compounds

• 비열 (卑劣, biyeol)
• 열등 (劣等, yeoldeung)
• 열성 (劣性, yeolseong)
• 열세 (劣勢, yeolse)
• 열악 (劣惡, yeorak)
• 용렬 (庸劣, yongnyeol)
• 우열 (優劣, uyeol)
• 졸렬 (拙劣, jollyeol)
• 저열 (低劣, jeoyeol)
• 열위 (劣位, yeorwi)
• 승렬 (勝劣, seungnyeol)
• 악렬 (惡劣, angnyeol)
• 열종 (劣種, yeoljong)
• 열후 (劣後, yeolhu)
• 열등감 (劣等感, yeoldeunggam)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

劣: Hán Nôm readings: liệt, lẹt

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

• Nom Foundation