Meaning
嫉 means to feel envy or jealousy toward someone, typically because they possess something desirable that you lack. It carries a negative emotional connotation and is most commonly seen in compound words rather than used alone in modern Mandarin.
Usage
This character is rarely used in isolation in spoken Chinese. It almost always appears in compounds like 嫉妒 (jídù, jealousy/envy) or 妒嫉 (dùjí, jealousy). When used, it describes the bitter feeling of resentment toward another's advantages, success, or possessions. The tone is generally disapproving, as jealousy is considered an undesirable emotion in Chinese culture.
Examples
- 01她嫉妒别人的成功。.She is jealous of other people's success.
- 02嫉贤妒能的人很难有真正的朋友。.People who envy the virtuous and capable rarely have true friends.
Common collocations
- 嫉妒心jealous heart, jealousy
- 嫉贤妒能to envy the virtuous and capable
Antonyms
Origin
The character 嫉 contains the female radical 女 (nǚ) on the left and 疾 (jí, illness/disease) on the right, suggesting jealousy as a kind of emotional 'sickness.' This reflects traditional associations between strong negative emotions and disease.