Chinese word

暧昧

Pronunciation

Pinyinài mèi

Meaning

  • adjectiveambiguous

Example

他的暧昧态度让我很困惑。tā de ài mèi tài dù ràng wǒ hěn kùn huò

His ambiguous attitude confuses me.

Illustration for 暧昧 (ambiguous)

More examples

他们之间的关系很暧昧，让人难以判断。tā men zhī jiān de guān xì hěn ài mèi ràng rén nán yǐ pàn duàn

Their relationship is very ambiguous, making it hard to judge.

Core concept

Signals remain half-hidden: they suggest a direction without clearly confirming or rejecting it.

Common phrases

  • 暧昧关系ài mèi guān xì

    ambiguous relationship

  • 暧昧态度ài mèi tài dù

    ambiguous attitude

  • 暧昧不清ài mèi bù qīng

    vague and unclear

Similar words

模糊不清mó hú bù qīng: Having an unclear appearance or meaning that is difficult to see or understand.
不清楚bù qīng chǔ: Describing a matter or explanation that is difficult to understand because it lacks clarity.
含糊hán hú: Avoiding a clear statement of an intention or meaning through indirect wording.

Definition in Chinese

关系或态度的界限不清，既不明确表示也不完全否认，给人模糊不定的感觉，常用于描述有暧昧趋势的往来。guān xì huò tài dù de jiè xiàn bù qīng jì bù míng què biǎo shì yě bù wán quán fǒu rèn gěi rén mó hú bú dìng de gǎn jué cháng yòng yú miáo shù yǒu ài mèi qū shì de wǎng lái

Word origin

暧 (ài, "dim") + 昧 (mèi, "dark or unclear") combine images of dimness and obscurity, giving the word its sense of an unclear attitude or connection.

Usage tips

  • In formal or workplace conversation, this word can signal that a message leaves room for misunderstanding, while a specific statement makes the intended meaning easier to identify.

Opposites

Word lists with this word