Definition
污 is a bound morpheme (bound form) that cannot stand alone as an independent word. It appears as a root in compound words conveying physical dirtiness (e.g., 污染 'pollution', 污渍 'stain') or moral corruption (e.g., 贪污 'corruption', 玷污 'to defile').
b.f.
dirtyfilthy (literal sense in compounds)corruptdefiled (figurative sense in compounds)
Examples
- 。Zhè tiáo hé bèi wūrǎn de hěn yánzhòng.This river is heavily polluted.
- 。Tā de míngyù shàng yǒu le yí gè wūdiǎn.There is a stain on his reputation.
- 。Tā yīn tānwū bèi diàochá.He is under investigation for corruption.
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