腐 fǔ — decay; rotten
妈妈做的麻婆豆腐又香又辣。Mā ma zuò de má pó dòu fu yòu xiāng yòu là.The mapo tofu my mom makes is fragrant and spicy.
Common words: 豆腐 (dòu fu)、腐败 (fǔ bài)、腐蚀 (fǔ shí)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "rotten"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "rotten", including 腐 (fǔ), 烂 (làn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "rotten" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 腐 (fǔ), 烂 (làn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span fǔ, làn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 腐 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 腐 fǔdecay; rottenUseful words: 豆腐, 腐败
- 烂 lànovercooked; rotten; softUseful words: 灿烂, 腐烂
Common words for these 2 "rotten" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 腐 (fǔ) — so "rotten" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "rotten".
烂 làn — overcooked; rotten; soft
这个苹果已经烂了，不能吃了。Zhè ge píng guǒ yǐ jīng làn le, bù néng chī le.This apple has gone rotten and cannot be eaten.
Common words: 灿烂 (càn làn)、腐烂 (fǔ làn)、烂人 (làn rén)
All 2 characters
Open 腐、烂 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.