恶化 èhuà to worsen
How to remember 恶化: 恶 bad + 化 change = to worsen.
Characters
How it is used
- To worsen/deteriorate - used for situations, relations, illness, environment - 病情恶化 (bìngqíng èhuà) the condition worsened, 关系恶化 (guānxi èhuà) relations deteriorated.
- The 化 makes it a process verb ("turn bad"); its opposite is 好转 (hǎozhuǎn, to take a turn for the better) - 情况好转 (qíngkuàng hǎozhuǎn) things take a turn for the better.
- Formal, common in news and medical reports; intransitive by default.
Example sentences
- 这些年空气质量恶化了。 Zhèxiē nián kōngqìzhìliàng èhuà le.Air quality has deteriorated these past few years.