yōngsú: 庸俗 - Vulgar, Tacky, Philistine

• Keywords: yōngsú, 庸俗, what does yongsu mean, Chinese for vulgar, tacky in Chinese, philistine Chinese, low-brow, crude taste, lack of refinement, common, tasteless.
• Summary: Learn the meaning of 庸俗 (yōngsú), a powerful Chinese adjective used to describe something or someone as vulgar, tacky, or philistine. This term goes beyond simple rudeness; it criticizes a lack of cultural refinement and an obsession with materialism over art, intellect, and higher ideals. This page breaks down the characters, cultural context, and practical examples to help you understand why calling something `庸俗` is a significant social critique in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yōngsú
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: Lacking in refined taste; vulgar, tacky, or philistine.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine the difference between a thoughtful, artistic film and a cheap reality TV show that's only about money and drama. `庸俗` is the word you'd use to describe the TV show. It's a criticism not just of bad aesthetics (like tacky clothes or decorations) but of a mindset that is shallow, materialistic, and unappreciative of culture, art, or intellectual depth. It's the opposite of being elegant and cultured (高雅, gāoyǎ).

• 庸 (yōng): This character's core meaning is common, ordinary, or mediocre. It implies a lack of distinction or excellence.
• 俗 (sú): This character means custom, conventional, or popular. By itself, it can be neutral, but it often carries the connotation of being unrefined or worldly (as opposed to scholarly or spiritual). It's composed of the “person” radical (亻) and “valley” (谷), evoking the image of a common person from the countryside, lacking the sophistication of the court or city.
• Combined Meaning: When you put 庸 (mediocre) and 俗 (unrefined) together, you get `庸俗`, a powerful term for something that is not just common, but aggressively and distastefully so. It describes a mediocrity that is crude, tasteless, and lacking in any aspiration toward refinement.

`庸俗` is a culturally loaded term that reflects traditional Chinese values prizing scholarship, art, and intellectual refinement over mere wealth. For centuries, the ideal gentleman was a scholar-official, not just a rich merchant. `庸俗` is the perfect word to criticize those who fail to live up to this ideal. A common target of the “庸俗” label is the 暴发户 (bàofāhù), or “nouveau riche”—individuals who acquired wealth rapidly but lack the “cultural capital” or taste to go along with it. Think of someone covering their car in gold or building a gaudy mansion. This behavior is seen as `庸俗` because it's a shallow display of money without any underlying grace or substance. Comparison to Western Concepts:

• Tacky/Kitsch: This is a good starting point. A plastic pink flamingo on a lawn is `庸俗`. However, `庸俗` goes deeper.
• Philistine: This is a closer match. A philistine is someone who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts. `庸俗` captures this same idea. Someone whose only topic of conversation is how much money they make is not just tacky, they are a philistine—and therefore, `庸俗`.

The key difference is that `庸俗` feels like a more severe and common social criticism in everyday Chinese conversation than “philistine” does in English. It points to a failure to appreciate what is considered truly valuable in life: personal cultivation, knowledge, and beauty.

`庸俗` is almost always used with a strong negative and judgmental connotation. It's a way to look down on someone or something for being uncultured.

• Describing People: You can call a person `庸俗` if their goals, interests, and conversation are all shallow.
  • He only cares about cars and money, he's such a vulgar person. (他只关心车和钱，真是个庸俗的人。)
• Describing Art & Media: It's frequently used to critique movies, TV shows, music, or books that are considered low-brow, commercially driven, and lacking artistic merit.
  • Many viewers find this TV show's plot to be vulgar and nonsensical. (很多观众觉得这部电视剧的情节很庸俗。)
• Describing Aesthetics: It can describe anything from interior design to fashion choices that are considered gaudy or tasteless.
  • His home decorations are too flashy and tacky. (他家的装修太花哨了，很庸俗。)

Example 1:

• 他的兴趣爱好很庸俗，不是喝酒就是打牌。
• Pinyin: Tā de xìngqù àihào hěn yōngsú, búshì hējiǔ jiùshì dǎpái.
• English: His hobbies are very vulgar; it's either drinking or playing cards.
• Analysis: This sentence uses `庸俗` to pass judgment on someone's character based on their low-brow pastimes.

Example 2:

• 这个笑话太庸俗了，一点儿也不好笑。
• Pinyin: Zhège xiàohuà tài yōngsú le, yìdiǎnr yě bù hǎoxiào.
• English: This joke is too crude, it's not funny at all.
• Analysis: Here, `庸俗` doesn't necessarily mean the joke is obscene, but rather that it's cheap, un-clever, and in poor taste.

Example 3:

• 我们应该追求高雅的艺术，抵制庸俗的文化。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen yīnggāi zhuīqiú gāoyǎ de yìshù, dǐzhì yōngsú de wénhuà.
• English: We should pursue elegant art and resist vulgar culture.
• Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the classic dichotomy between `高雅` (gāoyǎ, elegant/refined) and `庸俗`.

Example 4:

• 把艺术完全商业化是一种庸俗的做法。
• Pinyin: Bǎ yìshù wánquán shāngyèhuà shì yì zhǒng yōngsú de zuòfǎ.
• English: To completely commercialize art is a philistine approach.
• Analysis: This shows `庸俗` being used to critique a mindset or approach—one that prioritizes profit over artistic integrity.

Example 5:

• 他这个人很庸俗，三句话不离钱。
• Pinyin: Tā zhè ge rén hěn yōngsú, sān jù huà bù lí qián.
• English: He is a very vulgar person; he can't say three sentences without mentioning money.
• Analysis: A classic example of `庸俗` describing a person's materialistic and narrow-minded nature. The idiom “三句话不离 X” means “can't stop talking about X”.

Example 6:

• 这种庸俗的电视剧居然有这么高的收视率，真让人不解。
• Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng yōngsú de diànshìjù jūrán yǒu zhème gāo de shōushìlǜ, zhēn ràng rén bùjiě.
• English: It's truly baffling that this kind of low-brow TV show actually has such high ratings.
• Analysis: A common complaint on Chinese social media, critiquing popular media for being `庸俗`.

Example 7:

• 虽然他很有钱，但他的品味很庸俗。
• Pinyin: Suīrán tā hěn yǒuqián, dàn tā de pǐnwèi hěn yōngsú.
• English: Although he is very rich, his taste is very tacky.
• Analysis: This directly connects wealth with a lack of taste, a common theme associated with `庸俗`. `品味` (pǐnwèi) means “taste”.

Example 8:

• 我觉得在公共场合大声炫耀自己的财富是一种非常庸俗的行为。
• Pinyin: