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弊端

Mandarin · pinyin bì duān

systemic problem (sometimes refers specifically to corrupt practices)

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Characters in this entry

弊: bì · evil, wrong, bad; criminal
端: duān · end, extreme; head; beginning

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–1 · bi4 duan1

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bai6 dyun1

Cantonese word readings for 弊端. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

malpractice; abuse; corrupt practice
drawback; weakness; flaw; downside

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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