Meaning
腐 originally meant 'rotten' or 'decayed' in a physical sense, referring to food or organic matter that has decomposed. Over time, it extended to describe moral decay and corruption. It's commonly seen in compound words related to both physical decay and political or social corruption.
Usage
腐 is rarely used alone in modern Mandarin and typically appears in compounds. Common uses include 腐败 (corruption), 豆腐 (tofu, literally 'rotten beans'), and 腐烂 (to decay/rot). In internet slang, 腐女 refers to women who enjoy BL (boys' love) content, derived from Japanese usage.
Examples
- 01政府正在加强反腐力度。.The government is strengthening anti-corruption efforts.
- 02这些水果已经腐烂了，不能吃了。, .These fruits have already rotted and can't be eaten.
Common collocations
- 反腐anti-corruption
- 腐朽rotten, decadent
- 防腐anti-corrosion, preservative
- 腐蚀to corrode, to erode
Antonyms
Origin
The character 腐 consists of the meat radical 肉(月) on the left, indicating organic matter, and 府 on the right as the phonetic component. The meat radical reinforces the original meaning of rotting flesh or organic decay.