弊端 bìduān systemic problem
systemic problem (sometimes refers specifically to corrupt practices)
How to remember 弊端: 弊 bad + 端 end = systemic problem.
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How it is used
- A systemic abuse or built-in defect, often with a whiff of corruption - 制度弊端 (zhìdù bìduān) institutional malpractice; 滋生弊端 (zīshēng bìduān) to breed corruption.
- Formal; frequently in policy/governance critique about loopholes exploited for wrongdoing.
- Compared with 弊病 (bìbìng, general flaw), 弊端 points more at concrete abuses and their harm.