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Kotomora

弊

abuse, evil, vice, breakage

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヘイ

Kun'yomi

—

Meaning

弊 centers on harmful or worn-out states: abuse, evil, and vice as moral decay, and breakage as physical deterioration. The common thread is something that has become broken or corrupted.

Most common words using 弊

20 of 34
  • 弊社へいしゃ
    N1

    our company; our firm

  • 疲弊ひへい

    exhaustion; fatigue

  • 弊害へいがい
    N1

    harmful effect; harmful influence; evil practice; abuse; malady

  • 弊へい

    bad habit; harm

  • 語弊ごへい

    faulty statement; misleading statement; misunderstanding caused by a misleading statement

  • 悪弊あくへい

    corrupt practice; evil practice; bad custom; abuse; evil ways

  • 病弊びょうへい

    evil influence; ill effect

  • 余弊よへい

    resulting evil; holdover

  • 党弊とうへい

    party evils

  • 宿弊しゅくへい

    longstanding abuse; deep-rooted evil

  • 弊学へいがく

    my university

  • 弊履へいり

    worn-out shoes

  • 弊店へいてん

    our shop; our store

  • 弊所へいしょ

    our office

  • 弊政へいせい

    misgovernment; maladministration

  • 弊方へいほう

    me; mine

  • 弊村へいそん

    poor village; our own (little or poor) village

  • 弊紙へいし

    our newspaper; this newspaper

  • 弊習へいしゅう

    corrupt practices; bad habit

  • 弊職へいしょく

    I; me

Explore all words using 弊 →

Study

Etymology

弊 is thought to combine 敝 (worn-out, tattered) with 廾 (two hands), suggesting something broken or damaged by use. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the idea of deterioration is consistent.

Meaning mnemonic

The top part 敝 looks like a torn cloth, and the bottom 廾 shows two hands. Imagine hands tearing a cloth until it is worn out and broken—this leads to abuse, evil, and breakage.

Reading mnemonic

For ヘイ, picture a broken object that you hate (ヘイ sounds like 'hate' without the 't'). The broken, evil thing makes you say 'hey!' in disgust: hey -> ヘイ.