# 贱



## englishelp

I have always wondered if there is an effective English equivalent for the Chinese adjective: 贱。 

This word has a couple of meanings. A common meaning is: the way someone acts that shows he is worthless and in addition he knows it makes him look worthless. 

Scenario: 

If I go to a posh hotel, dressed in ordinary clothes, the receptionist at the front desk gives me cold look, thinking that I cannot afford to stay in the hotel. But as soon as I demonstrate that I am rich or that I am of a high status, for example, by taking out a thick wad of US dollars, his/her attitude changes immediately. She starts to serve me in all fawning smiles and bows. Then, the person could be described as: 贱。 

So what kind of person is this receptionist in English?

Another Scenario (This is actually a real one)

My friend has a pre-paid mobile phone account. This means he needs to put money into the phone account when the balance runs low. One day, he tried to top up his account using a top-up machine designated by the phone company. The machine took his money but his phone balance did not increase. He called the customer service, telling them about the situation. They asked him to fax over the receipts of the top-up. He did. But nothing happened. He called another two times. Still nothing happened. Finally, he called the customer service people saying that if they do not resolve the matter immediately, he would write to the local media to lodge a complaint. Then immediatey the phone company credited the amount into his phone account. When we talked about it later, we both said the customer serivice people were really 贱。


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## BODYholic

englishelp said:


> I have always wondered if there is an effective English equivalent for the Chinese adjective: 贱。



Yes but it depends on context. 贱 has the meaning of cheap, slut, low class & etc.

For your second example, both of you referred to the customer service personnel as "cheapskate".


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## englishelp

Hi, Thank you bodyholic. 

A "cheapskate" is a stingy person. But that is not really what we intended to mean by it in that context. 

Maybe I should further refine the meaning of 贱, as it is used in the context described in my post. 

In the second example, the customer service people did not behave until they were given some kind of pressure. That is pretty low class and despicable. Decent people will behave in all kinds of circumstances. So, a 贱 person will not behave unless you put pressure on them. And that makes such people pretty worthless, doesn't it? The same applies to that hypothetical hotel receptionist. 






BODYholic said:


> Yes but it depends on context. 贱 has the meaning of cheap, slut, low class & etc.
> 
> For your second example, both of you referred to the customer service personnel as "cheapskate".


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## IDK

A dictionary says "despicable". Is that what you're going for? Destestable?

I'd say these people are downright shallow and lazy! (These are not translations)


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## fffa4lulua

After coming to the US for more than two years, 
the best 'resolution' I found for the word 賤 
is to substitute w/ the word '_bitch_'.
(I first thought the word bitch is exclusively 'for' women, but apparently it applys to men, too)


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## BODYholic

I said "cheapskate" because I was under the impression that both of you were fed up because the telephone company cheated/pocketed your friend's money despite that, and I presume, its meager amount.



englishelp said:


> So, a 贱 person will not behave unless you put pressure on them.


In Chinese, this is called 贱骨头. But I am afraid I do not know what's the direct translation in English.

Goolged and found this -> http://cy.kdd.cc/C/38/
It suggested "contemptible wretch". Colloquially, I might just say "Shameless bitch". lol


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## twinklestar

In English slang, it is called sleazyball.


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## englishelp

Thanks for all the good suggested translations!


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## IDK

fffa4lulua said:


> After coming to the US for more than two years,
> the best 'resolution' I found for the word 賤
> is to substitute w/ the word '_bitch_'.
> (I first thought the word bitch is exclusively 'for' women, but apparently it applys to men, too)


 
That word is meant to curse women, but people have used it recklessly. When they're calling men that, it's to bring further spite. Not only are they cursing that man, but also saying he's a woman.

Really now, I don't think "b" is the approriate adjective, especially in the context provided.


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## kindergarten

englishelp said:


> I have always wondered if there is an effective English equivalent for the Chinese adjective: 贱。
> 
> This word has a couple of meanings. A common meaning is: the way someone acts that shows he is worthless and in addition he knows it makes him look worthless.
> 
> Scenario:
> 
> If I go to a posh hotel, dressed in ordinary clothes, the receptionist at the front desk gives me cold look, thinking that I cannot afford to stay in the hotel. But as soon as I demonstrate that I am rich or that I am of a high status, for example, by taking out a thick wad of US dollars, his/her attitude changes immediately. She starts to serve me in all fawning smiles and bows. Then, the person could be described as: 贱。
> 
> So what kind of person is this receptionist in English?
> 
> Another Scenario (This is actually a real one)
> 
> My friend has a pre-paid mobile phone account. This means he needs to put money into the phone account when the balance runs low. One day, he tried to top up his account using a top-up machine designated by the phone company. The machine took his money but his phone balance did not increase. He called the customer service, telling them about the situation. They asked him to fax over the receipts of the top-up. He did. But nothing happened. He called another two times. Still nothing happened. Finally, he called the customer service people saying that if they do not resolve the matter immediately, he would write to the local media to lodge a complaint. Then immediatey the phone company credited the amount into his phone account. When we talked about it later, we both said the customer serivice people were really 贱。


 

there are some other means of 贱:

1.in ancient time of China,the children were easily killed by kinds of slight disease since the technology of medical treatment were not so advanced as today's.Parents were perfer using some animal's name as a pet name of their children,such as "doggy""kitty""birdie"and"rabbit".They thought the more 贱 of their children's name,the more easy for they to grow up and live longer

2 贱 also can be used when kidding with someone,to some extand,funny.

scenario:
W  W  W  .tudou.com/programs/view/x4YneMCyjdA/
(the imitation of a famous femal singer---Li Yuchun)
we can call the performer 贱,quite funny


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## ash341986

kindergarten said:


> there are some other means of 贱:
> 
> 1.in ancient time of China,the children were easily killed by kinds of slight disease since the technology of medical treatment were not so advanced as today's.Parents were perfer using some animal's name as a pet name of their children,such as "doggy""kitty""birdie"and"rabbit".They thought the more 贱 of their children's name,the more easy for they to grow up and live longer
> 
> 2 贱 also can be used when kidding with someone,to some extand,funny.
> 
> scenario:
> W W W .tudou.com/programs/view/x4YneMCyjdA/
> (the imitation of a famous femal singer---Li Yuchun)
> we can call the performer 贱,quite funny


 
Additional information:
Some people still did that even until my grandparents' generation in Taiwan, like 阿狗, 猴仔.

Now back to the word 賤. Originally it refers to the impoverished ones or people in the lower class, e.g. 貧賤. Confucius once said 吾少也賤，故多能鄙事 
Mencius also said 貧賤不能移
Eventually this word began to be used as a bad word. Maybe we can translate it as "very vulgar"?

And if one wants to curse with this word but find it too terrible to say, use its euphemism 貝戈戈.


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## 29858

twinklestar said:


> In English slang, it is called sleazyball.


sleazyball好像比较贴切。


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## Dansey

i would probably use the general word that word describe these kind of people - Jerks. 

Jerks are people who are generally not polite and self-seeking and in general get on your nerves for whatever reasons.  I am pretty sure there is not a word as specific as the Chinese, and if there is its seldom used. 

When I think of Sleaze-balls I think of people who do things that are wrong or dirty and maybe cheat you but live a lowlife existence. Sleaze-balls are a lot more like scum. We don't use the Word Sleazy-balls in American English. 

I would probably use the word _Jerk_ to describe both situations, but It is not as specific as the Chinese. 

What a Jerk!
What a bunch of Jerks!

If I were talking to a friend about the situation. I would describe it as you had and then conclude with...What a Jerk!

You might also consider _hypocritical_. That just means that you act differently just to make people think one way but inside you are not that way. A hypocritical person would act that way. Although it has a slightly different meaning. Thats as close as I can get.


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