Meaning
坏习惯 literally means 'bad habit' and refers to any negative or undesirable behavior pattern that someone does repeatedly. It combines 坏 (bad) with 习惯 (habit), making it a straightforward compound that describes behaviors people recognize as harmful but may struggle to change.
Usage
This is a common everyday expression used when discussing personal behaviors, parenting, self-improvement, or health. It often appears in contexts about breaking bad habits (改掉坏习惯) or warning against developing them. The term is neutral in register and can be used in both casual conversation and formal writing.
Examples
- 01熬夜是一个很难改掉的坏习惯。.Staying up late is a bad habit that's very hard to break.
- 02孩子从小就要避免养成坏习惯。.Children should avoid developing bad habits from a young age.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个坏习惯
- 种这种坏习惯
Common collocations
- 改掉坏习惯to break a bad habit
- 养成坏习惯to develop a bad habit
- 戒掉坏习惯to quit a bad habit
- 有坏习惯to have a bad habit
Antonyms
Origin
习惯 comes from classical Chinese, where 习 meant repeated practice and 惯 indicated customary behavior. Adding 坏 as a modifier creates the negative counterpart to 好习惯 (good habit).