Meaning of 有害
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- destructive
- harmful
- damaging
How to use 有害
有害 is an adjective used for things that cause damage, often to health or the environment. A common pattern is 对……有害 (duì... yǒuhài), harmful to something. Example: 吸烟对身体有害。(Xīyān duì shēntǐ yǒuhài.) Smoking is harmful to the body.
有 (yǒu) means to have, and 害 (hài) means harm, so 有害 literally means having harm. Think of it as the opposite of 有用 (yǒuyòng), having use.
Common mistake: Learners often say 有害身体 by copying the English word order, but the natural pattern is 对身体有害 with 对 placed before the thing harmed. Also, 害 is fourth tone (hài), not third tone like 还 in 还有 (hái yǒu), which is second tone.
有害 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
有 yǒu · to have · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
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- 6
害 hài · to do harm to · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
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- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 有害.
| 没有 | méiyǒu | haven't; hasn't |
| 还有 | hái yǒu | there still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition |
| 有些 | yǒuxiē | some; somewhat; rather; a bit |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes; now and then |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
| 有的 | yǒude | (there are) some (who are...); some (exist) |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
| 有人 | yǒu rén | someone; people |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting; meaningful |
Questions about 有害
What does 有害 mean?
有害 (yǒu hài) means "destructive; harmful".
How do you write 有害?
有害 is made of 2 characters: 有 (6 strokes), 害 (10 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 有害 an HSK word?
Yes. 有害 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 有害?
The direct opposite is 无害 (wúhài), harmless. You can also say 有益 (yǒuyì), beneficial, as in 对健康有益, good for health.
Can 有害 go before a noun?
Yes, it can describe a noun, often with 的, as in 有害的物质 (yǒuhài de wùzhì), harmful substances. In set phrases like 有害气体 (yǒuhài qìtǐ), harmful gas, the 的 is usually dropped.