Chinese word

奢侈

Pronunciation

Pinyinshē chǐ

Meaning

  • adjectiveextravagant

Example

别奢侈，省点钱吧。bié shē chǐ shěng diǎn qián ba

Don't be extravagant; save some money.

Illustration for 奢侈 (extravagant)

More examples

她过着奢侈的生活，每年出国旅行好几次。tā guò zhe shē chǐ de shēng huó měi nián chū guó lǚ xíng hǎo jǐ cì

She leads an extravagant life and travels abroad several times every year.

Core concept

More money goes into luxury than practical need can justify.

Common phrases

  • 奢侈的生活shē chǐ de shēng huó

    extravagant lifestyle

  • 奢侈消费shē chǐ xiāo fèi

    extravagant consumption

  • 过于奢侈guò yú shē chǐ

    overly extravagant

Similar words

豪华háo huá: Describes buildings, rooms, or places fitted out in a grand, high-quality, luxurious way.
浪费làng fèi: Describes money or resources used without good purpose or benefit.

Definition in Chinese

形容生活方式或消费习惯追求奢华、缺乏节制、花费过多的状态或特征。xíng róng shēng huó fāng shì huò xiāo fèi xí guàn zhuī qiú shē huá quē fá jié zhì huā fèi guò duō de zhuàng tài huò tè zhēng

Word origin

奢 (shē, "lavish") + 侈 (chǐ, "excessive") each point to going beyond ordinary limits, making their combination a word for unrestrained luxury.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may hear a comment about price as a simple fact, but this Chinese word normally carries a disapproving tone when used about a person's choices.

Opposites

Related words

  • 奢侈品shē chí pǐnluxury goodsnoun
  • 奢侈化shē chǐ huàbecome extravagantverb

Word lists with this word