noun HSK 3
garbage · trash · rubbish · waste
Meaning
垃圾 is the standard word for garbage or trash in Mandarin. It refers to waste materials, refuse, or anything discarded as useless. The word is also commonly used colloquially to describe something of poor quality or worthless.
Usage
Native speakers use 垃圾 in both literal contexts (household waste, trash bins) and figuratively to criticize poor quality things, such as movies, products, or even behavior. It's casual but not particularly vulgar. Common phrases include 扔垃圾 (throw away trash) and 垃圾桶 (trash can).
Examples
- 01请把垃圾扔进垃圾桶里。.Please throw the trash into the trash can.
- 02这部电影太垃圾了，我看了十分钟就走了。, .This movie is such garbage, I left after watching for ten minutes.
Characters
Measure words
- 堆一堆垃圾
- 袋一袋垃圾
Common collocations
- 垃圾桶trash can, garbage bin
- 扔垃圾to throw away trash
- 垃圾分类garbage sorting/classification
- 垃圾食品junk food
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters 垃 and 圾 are rarely used independently and primarily appear together as the compound 垃圾. The characters themselves don't have independent meanings in modern usage outside this word.