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| 吃亏 [2025/08/10 12:32] – created xiaoer | 吃亏 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== chīkuī: 吃亏 - To Suffer a Loss, To Be at a Disadvantage ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** chīkuī, 吃亏, suffer a loss in Chinese, to be taken advantage of Chinese, to be at a disadvantage Chinese, losing out Chinese, Chinese culture of fairness, chikuī meaning, chīkuī pronunciation, HSK 4 vocabulary. | |
| * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese term **吃亏 (chīkuī)**, which means to **suffer a loss** or **be at a disadvantage**. This versatile word goes beyond simple financial loss to describe any situation where you are **taken advantage of**, get a raw deal, or **lose out** due to naivety or unfair circumstances. Understanding **chīkuī** is crucial for grasping the **Chinese culture of fairness** and navigating social and business interactions in China, from negotiating a price to managing group projects. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** chīkuī | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Adjective | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 4 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To suffer a loss, be taken advantage of, or find oneself in an unfavorable position. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** `吃亏` is the feeling of getting the "short end of the stick." It's not just about losing money; it's about any transaction or situation—social, financial, or emotional—where you come out worse off than you should have. It implies a sense of unfairness, that you've been outsmarted, treated unjustly, or that someone else has benefited at your expense. It's the direct opposite of `占便宜 (zhàn piányi)`, which means to gain an unfair advantage. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **吃 (chī):** To eat, to consume. This is one of the first characters any beginner learns. It pictorially represents an open mouth. | |
| * **亏 (kuī):** A deficit, a loss, to lack. Think of a business being "in the red" or a scale that is unbalanced. It signifies a shortage or deficiency. | |
| By combining them, `吃亏` literally translates to "to eat a loss." This vivid metaphor perfectly captures the feeling of having to unwillingly "swallow" or accept an unfair outcome, absorbing the deficit yourself. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| `吃亏` is a cornerstone concept for understanding everyday Chinese social dynamics, which are often built on a delicate balance of fairness, reciprocity, and "face" (`面子`). | |
| In many Western cultures, particularly American culture, the focus is often on individual achievement and "winning" a negotiation. Getting the best possible deal is a sign of skill. In China, while a good outcome is desired, maintaining harmony and perceived fairness is often just as important. To make someone else `吃亏` can cause them to lose face and damage the long-term relationship (`关系`). Complaining that you have `吃亏` is a powerful social statement that things are not fair (`不公平`). | |
| Interestingly, there is a famous philosophical saying: **`吃亏是福 (chīkuī shì fú)`**, which means "to suffer a loss is a blessing." This doesn't mean people enjoy losing out. Rather, it reflects a traditional value that sometimes, willingly accepting a small, short-term loss can lead to long-term gains, such as a better reputation, stronger relationships, or the avoidance of bigger conflicts. It showcases a patient, long-term perspective that contrasts with a more short-term, individualistic focus on winning every transaction. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| `吃亏` is an extremely common word used in almost any informal or semi-formal context. | |
| * **Shopping and Business:** It's a key term in any negotiation. If you feel a price is too high, you can say `这个价格我太吃亏了 (Zhège jiàgé wǒ tài chīkuī le)`, meaning "At this price, I'd be at too much of a disadvantage." | |
| * **Social Complaints:** You can use it to complain about any unfair situation. For example, if you did most of the work on a group project but got the same grade, you could tell a friend, `这次合作我可吃亏了 (Zhè cì hézuò wǒ kě chīkuī le)` - "I really lost out on this collaboration." | |
| * **Giving Advice:** It's often used to warn others. A mother might tell her child who is too trusting: `你这么老实，很容易吃亏的 (Nǐ zhème lǎoshi, hěn róngyì chīkuī de)` - "You're so honest, it's easy for you to be taken advantage of." | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| **Example 1:** | |
| * 他这个人很精明，你跟他做生意小心别**吃亏**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā zhège rén hěn jīngmíng, nǐ gēn tā zuò shēngyì xiǎoxīn bié **chīkuī**. | |
| * English: He's a very shrewd person. Be careful not to suffer a loss when you do business with him. | |
| * Analysis: This is a common warning. It shows that `吃亏` is often the result of someone else being clever or shrewd (`精明`) at your expense. | |
| **Example 2:** | |
| * 为了买这个便宜几块钱的东西，排队一小时，太**吃亏**了。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wèile mǎi zhège piányi jǐ kuài qián de dōngxi, páiduì yī xiǎoshí, tài **chīkuī** le. | |
| * English: To save a few bucks on this item, I waited in line for an hour. It was so not worth it. | |
| * Analysis: Here, `吃亏` is used in the sense of a bad trade-off. The "loss" isn't money, but time and effort. The Chinese phrase for "not worth it" is `划不来 (huábulái)`, which is closely related to `吃亏`. | |
| **Example 3:** | |
| * 我不想让你**吃亏**，我们还是平分吧。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ bùxiǎng ràng nǐ **chīkuī**, wǒmen háishì píngfēn ba. | |
| * English: I don't want you to be at a disadvantage, so let's just split it evenly. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows a desire for fairness. The speaker is actively trying to prevent a `吃亏` situation, which helps build goodwill and a positive relationship. | |
| **Example 4:** | |
| * 做人不能太老实，不然总是要**吃亏**的。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zuòrén bùnéng tài lǎoshi, bùrán zǒngshì yào **chīkuī** de. | |
| * English: You can't be too honest in life, otherwise you'll always be the one losing out. | |
| * Analysis: This reflects a common piece of cynical but practical advice. `老实 (lǎoshi)` (honest, simple-minded) is often seen as a quality that makes a person vulnerable to `吃亏`. | |
| **Example 5:** | |
| * 这是一笔**吃亏**的买卖，没人愿意做。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè shì yī bǐ **chīkuī** de mǎimài, méi rén yuànyì zuò. | |
| * English: This is a losing deal; nobody is willing to do it. | |
| * Analysis: In this sentence, `吃亏` is used as an adjective to describe the noun `买卖 (mǎimài)` (deal/business). It directly labels the transaction as disadvantageous. | |
| **Example 6:** | |
| * 俗话说，**吃亏是福**。有时候让一步，对自己更好。 | |
| * Pinyin: Súhuà shuō, **chīkuī shì fú**. Yǒu shíhòu ràng yī bù, duì zìjǐ gèng hǎo. | |
| * English: As the saying goes, "to suffer a loss is a blessing." Sometimes taking a step back is better for you. | |
| * Analysis: This showcases the famous idiom. It's used to console someone who has `吃亏` or to justify a decision to not fight over a small matter. | |
| **Example 7:** | |
| * 我感觉自己**吃了**个大**亏**，这台电脑的市场价根本没那么高。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ gǎnjué zìjǐ **chīle** ge dà **kuī**, zhè tái diànnǎo de shìchǎngjià gēnběn méi nàme gāo. | |
| * English: I feel like I've suffered a huge loss; the market price for this computer isn't nearly that high. | |
| * Analysis: The structure `吃了(一)个大/小亏` (chīle (yī)ge dà/xiǎo kuī) is very common. `大亏` means a "big loss," while `小亏` means a "small loss." | |
| **Example 8:** | |
| * 你不能总让我**吃亏**，这次该你多做一点了。 | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ bùnéng zǒng ràng wǒ **chīkuī**, zhè cì gāi nǐ duō zuò yīdiǎn le. | |
| * English: You can't always make me the one who loses out. This time it's your turn to do a little more. | |
| * Analysis: This is a perfect example of using `吃亏` in a social or relational context, like chores or shared responsibilities, to demand fairness. | |
| **Example 9:** | |
| * 虽然薪水不高，但是能学到很多东西，所以也算不上**吃亏**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Suīrán xīnshuǐ bù gāo, dànshì néng xuédào hěnduō dōngxi, suǒyǐ yě suàn bu shàng **chīkuī**. | |
| * English: Although the salary isn't high, I can learn a lot, so you can't really consider it a loss. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence shows the subjective nature of `吃亏`. If you gain something non-monetary (like experience), a situation might not be considered a `吃亏` after all. | |
| **Example 10:** | |
| * 我凭什么要**吃亏**？这件事必须说清楚。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ píngshénme yào **chīkuī**? Zhè jiàn shì bìxū shuō qīngchǔ. | |
| * English: Why should I be the one to suffer a loss? We have to get this matter straight. | |
| * Analysis: The phrase `凭什么 (píngshénme)` ("on what basis?" or "why should I?") is often paired with `吃亏` to express strong indignation about an unfair situation. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| * **`吃亏` vs. `输 (shū)` (To Lose):** A very common mistake for learners is to confuse these two. | |
| * `输 (shū)` is used for competitions, games, or battles. It has a clear winner and loser. (e.g., `我们输了比赛` - We lost the game.) | |
| * `吃亏 (chīkuī)` is used for life situations, transactions, and social exchanges where the outcome is unfavorable or unfair. You don't "win" or "lose" a negotiation in the same way you lose a game; you either get a good deal or you `吃亏`. | |
| * **Incorrect:** `我在这场谈判中输了。` (Grammatically okay, but sounds unnatural.) | |
| * **Correct:** `我在这场谈判中吃亏了。` (I came out at a disadvantage in this negotiation.) | |
| * **`吃亏` vs. `倒霉 (dǎoméi)` (Unlucky):** | |
| * `倒霉 (dǎoméi)` refers to bad luck or misfortune that happens by chance. It's impersonal. (e.g., `今天真倒霉，出门就下雨。` - So unlucky today, it started raining as soon as I went out.) | |
| * `吃亏` usually implies that the unfavorable outcome is due to the structure of the situation or the actions of another person (or your own naivety). There's a stronger sense of unfairness, not just random chance. | |
| * **Don't use `吃亏` for simple, factual losses:** If you just lose your keys, you wouldn't say `我吃亏了`. That implies someone benefited from your loss. You would simply say `我把钥匙丢了 (wǒ bǎ yàoshi diū le)`. `吃亏` requires a context of an exchange or social interaction. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * **[[占便宜]] (zhàn piányi)** - The direct antonym of `吃亏`. It means to gain an unfair advantage or to benefit at someone else's expense. | |
| * **[[上当]] (shàngdàng)** - To be swindled, duped, or to fall for a scam. This is a more specific type of `吃亏` that involves deliberate deception. | |
| * **[[损失]] (sǔnshī)** - A loss, damage. This is a more formal, neutral, and often quantifiable term, typically used in business or insurance contexts. `吃亏` is more personal and emotional. | |
| * **[[划不来]] (huábulái)** - Not worth it; the cost outweighs the benefit. This describes the calculation one makes to avoid a `吃亏` situation. | |
| * **[[吃亏是福]] (chīkuī shì fú)** - The famous idiom meaning "to suffer a loss is a blessing," reflecting a cultural value of prioritizing long-term harmony over short-term gain. | |
| * **[[公平]] (gōngpíng)** - Fair, impartial. The core principle that is violated when a person feels they have `吃亏`. | |
| * **[[面子]] (miànzi)** - "Face," social prestige, or dignity. A person might refuse to `吃亏` in public to protect their `面子`. | |
| * **[[老实]] (lǎoshi)** - Honest, frank, well-behaved. While a positive trait, being `太老实` (too honest/naive) is often seen as a reason why someone might `吃亏`. | |