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Similar to 厉害 in Chinese - it often translates as terrible, but mostly used to mean great.
by Lxr 7y ago
Similar to 厉害 in Chinese - it often translates as terrible, but mostly used to mean great.
- gwd 7y ago"Awesome" and "Aweful" have similar etymologoies: both mean, "Inspiring or creating awe". But one has morphed into, "really good", and the other into "really bad".
- thaumasiotes 7y agoLikewise "terrible" and "terrific".
- thaumasiotes 7y agoI believe "terrible" in the sense given for 厉害 is as in "I am Oz, the great and terrible", not the ordinary sense of the word.
- dwohnitmok 7y agoThis. It can be used more colloquially than the equivalent meaning of "terrible," where it's closer to something like "awesome." It can also generally used as a marker of intensity. In no case does it mean "bad at something."
- UIZealot 7y agoCan you give an example where it means terrible? I can't think of any.