<p>'Obscene' is not 下流(no class/ bad taste) or 輕佻 (frivolous)</p>

<p>One definition of obscene is 不堪入目 , it is used to describe perverted, immoral act or behavior </p>

<p>For example: Taking a child from his mother and claim it is all for enforcing the law (which is not true) is an obscene (不堪入耳- too perverted and immoral to the ears) argument</p>

<p>Another definition of obscene is 淫褻 or 不雅 (also means 'unsightly'), it is used to describe extreme sexually suggestive content or display </p>

<p>I would describe the skirt 不雅, 不堪入目 or 淫褻 if I was judgmental, but I rather call it 大膽 (bold) or 開放 (open)</p>

<p><em>暴露 (revealing) is also a fitting description of that skirt</em> </p>

<p><strong>Edit:</strong> from all the answers: "下流, 輕佻, 不堪入目, 大膽, 開放, 淫褻, 變態, 不三不四, 有伤风化" are all 'subjective opinions' (you can't say any of them is wrong, but you can disagree with all of them)</p>

<p>Only 暴露 is  an 'objective description' (it is a correct statement based on fact. You can't argue with fact, that skirt does expose a lot of skin)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T01:52:15.037Z
2018-06-28T15:54:00.667Z
2018-06-28T15:54:00.667Z
Tang Ho
<p>下流 describes indecent action or person, sexually harass is the typical 下流的行为, a voyeur is a 下流的人.</p>

<p>輕佻(轻佻) is slightly literary, only used for woman, it describes her characteristic. </p>

<p>This word is not very popular in modern times due to the opening up of society.</p>

<p>For the picture in you question, I would say it is a: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>有伤风化的衣服</p>
</blockquote>

<p>People could imagine it immediately.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-28T16:04:11.693Z
輕佻 apply to men too. 做人輕佻浮躁
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T11:20:56.563Z
2018-06-19T11:20:56.563Z
sfy
<blockquote>
<p>My Chinese friend says 下流 is very, very bad and out of proportion and recommended 輕佻, but dictionaries say this means 'skittish, flippant, giddy, frivolous'. These words seem much too cute to me, almost like I am not scolding the person.</p>
<p><strong>How [does one] grasp the difference between the two words</strong>?</p>
</blockquote>
<h1>Sexism</h1>
<p>You're not misunderstanding your vocabulary; you're misunderstanding the <em>beliefs</em> of the Chinese. Having talked this over with my Chinese friends, their understanding is that</p>
<h1><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8B%E6%B5%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">下流</a>／<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%AE%8A%E6%85%8B#Chinese" rel="nofollow noreferrer">變態</a>的人</h1>
<p><em>Xiàliú</em> ('indecent, base') or <em>biàntài</em> ('deviant, perverted') <em>de rén</em> are objectionable <strong>men</strong>.</p>
<h1><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%BC%95%E4%BD%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">輕佻</a>的人</h1>
<p><em>Qīngtiāo</em> ('flirty') <em>de rén</em> are <strong>women</strong> who take their social responsibilities lightly. Your photo can't be too objectionable <em>because</em> the woman is <em>attractive</em>; she's displaying herself openly and not being careful with her virtue, but she's nonetheless a <em>prima facie</em> object of beauty and grace.</p>
<p>The exact. same. outfit. worn by an overweight, aged, or otherwise unattractive woman would not be understood as <em>xiàliú</em> or <em>biàntài</em> and doesn't get the benefit of being considered <em>qīngtiāo</em>. They're just <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%99%81%E5%BF%83#Chinese" rel="nofollow noreferrer">噁心</a> (<em>ěxin</em>): 'nauseating, revolting, disgusting'. <strong>This</strong> is where <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/30280/17462">Tang Ho's</a> <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8D%E5%A0%AA%E5%85%A5%E7%9B%AE" rel="nofollow noreferrer">不堪入目</a> (<em>bùkānrùmù</em>) comes in, which is why your teacher and friend didn't think of it. Your ultraminiskirt model is objectively <em>not</em> 'unsightly' nor 'hard to look at'.</p>
<h1><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8D%E4%B8%89%E4%B8%8D%E5%9B%9B" rel="nofollow noreferrer">不三不四</a></h1>
<p>''Bùsānbùsì'' (lit. 'neither three nor four' meaning 'neither one thing nor the other, shady') is the closest you can get to being judgmental towards attractive women (also men!) without slipping into full-on animalistic slurs and swears.</p>
<h1>太<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%9C%B2%E9%AA%A8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">露骨</a>的</h1>
<p>The dress itself is <em>tài lùgǔ de</em> ('too open; blunt; lewd'). <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/30276/17462">SXZM's</a> <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%83%85%E8%B6%A3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">情趣</a><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%94%A8%E5%93%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">用品</a> (<em>qíngqù yòngpǐn</em>)—lit. 'funtime product(s)'—is the Chinese for anything you'd find in a sex shop, incl. those cheap overly skimpy costumes. There's no strong tradition of strippers in China so, to describe the women who wear <em>qíngqù yòngpǐn</em>, you have to just say 'she looks like a whore' or—what they <em>do</em> have a tradition of—'she's <em>xǐtóufáng de</em>' (<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B4%97%E9%A0%AD#Chinese" rel="nofollow noreferrer">洗頭</a>房的). She looks like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLRZ0dIvwHY" rel="nofollow noreferrer">she works at a 'shampoo place'</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-27T21:46:11.583Z
I strongly believe that 輕佻的人 is incorrect in this answer, as least it has nothing to do with genders.
Alex
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-28T14:40:19.683Z
Note to OP: this answer is subjective / bias and misleading with some of the word's meaning.
Alex
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-28T14:40:34.110Z
輕佻: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%BD%BB%E4%BD%BB/9732891
Alex
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-28T15:56:04.080Z
露骨 means 'obvious / undisguised' not suitable in this instance
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T11:46:09.280Z
2018-06-19T16:43:25.700Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
lly
<p>maybe "情趣用品 (sex toys) 耶?" with "asking attitude"</p>

<p>imo, a "real" miniskirt would be described as 輕佻, at least, it could be wear in public.</p>

<p>the link you provided, it could only be wear before. . . </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>describe people wearing clothing as totally indecent and obscene</p>
</blockquote>

<p>another word would be "變態㗎" (~abnormal), with disapproval attitude :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T01:49:27.193Z
Not sure 变态 can be applied here for my best knowledge in Mandarin and Cantonese. Usually 变态 is for describing people, not clothing.
WDC
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T02:51:13.260Z
then i must be 古老石山 lah :)
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T03:23:45.987Z
btw, my suggestions are based on that "super-mini-skirt" of the link,not derived from the word "obscene" :)
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T03:28:11.757Z
@WDC If the morality (more open or more closed) towards sex varies, thus will the word chosen, won't it?
Rodrigo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T04:07:01.577Z
@WDC 变态 means 'perverted', it is an adjective, sure it can be used to describe objects like publications or clothing
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T11:44:22.647Z
@TangHo In my daily life I have seldom seen 变态 for clothing description in Mainland China. Maybe there are regions it is applicable to clothing. If aware please let me know.
WDC
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-18T23:05:23.833Z
2018-06-18T23:05:23.833Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>In your case I think "猥琐" is nice to use, and it's frequently used in oral Chinese.</p>

<p>"轻佻" occurs more in classical or written Chinese, normally we would not speak it out.</p>

<p>"下流" is more about immoral behavior, less about clothing.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T07:06:30.273Z
*https://zh.wiktionary.org/zh-hant/%E7%8C%A5%E7%90%90 猥瑣，原指舉止扭捏、拘束、不自然；或形容人體貌、氣質不佳。貶義詞。 常同時有自私的表現。* 猥瑣 is mainly a  description of one's **disgusting** behavior, personality or physical appearance.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T09:05:08.707Z
further, as i think of, "猥瑣" is for male only, e.g. 猥瑣佬. absolutely not for female wearing such mini-mini-skirt :)
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T06:57:01.883Z
2018-06-19T06:57:01.883Z
liruqi
<p>轻佻 describes flippant/brazen behaviors, e.g. 他的行为举止很轻佻, or a person in general.</p>

<p>下流 can be more widely applied and is also more usual in modern Chinese. A behavior can be 下流, so can a book, a word, a gesture, a video etc. Also it is almost strictly constrained to sex-related connotations.</p>

<p>Neither of the words sounds really appropriate in this context of describing clothing though, especially if you don't know the person well. You may say the clothing looks too 开放，暴露，有伤风化 etc., which are somewhat more neutral in their connotations. It's not really a problem of being "nice" or not as you described in your question; you'd sound outright unnatural if you used either of those two words in this scenario.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T15:55:57.267Z
2018-06-19T16:10:23.927Z
2018-06-19T16:10:23.927Z
xji
<p>I want to describe people wearing clothing as totally indecent and obscene, for instance because the clothing doesn’t remotely cover the buttocks. I am not talking about ordinary mini skirts or hot pants.</p>
<p>I definitely want to sound judging and don’t care to be nice to the person in question, but I don’t want the word in itself to be vulgar / unsuitable for use in writing.</p>
<p>I checked dictionaries for 'obscene' and found 下流. My Chinese friend says 下流 is very, very bad and out of proportion and recommended 輕佻, but dictionaries say this means 'skittish, flippant, giddy, frivolous'. These words seem much too cute to me, almost like I am not scolding the person.</p>
<p>How to grasp the difference between the two words?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T01:44:38.240Z
I would say 有失体面 for indecent, and 放荡/浪荡 (similar to bitchy, a very offensive word) for obscene. So: 甲的衣着有失体面，看起来浪荡。
WDC
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T03:23:16.500Z
Why don't you care to be nice?
Rodrigo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T04:00:44.810Z
@WDC If the Queen of England having an argument with a commoner, that would be 有失体面 (not befitting of one's status and reputation); 放荡 means 'wanton' , someone dress provocative doesn't mean she is wantonly acting out her desire
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T07:52:07.587Z
Is there a reason *not* to use the common terms 变态 ('perverted') or 黄 ('dirty')?
lly
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T09:53:12.577Z
@lly in the situation German obszön was the first thing to come to my mind. I would say it Is almost identical to obscene in English. I translated it as 下流 and both my Chinese friend and my teacher protested and proposed 輕佻。But the translation of 輕佻 seemed barely disapproving, so I became curious. In my opinion 變態 would also apply. With 黃 I don’t have any experience.
Ludi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-19T11:48:00.050Z
@Rodrigo some people confuse being nice with not really being offended. After having been warned, such people sometimes need a very clear indication of disapproval.
Ludi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-31T02:42:53.610Z
I don't think any one expression, (in any language),  would be universally acceptable or satisfactory because it is a judgemental issue compounded by cultural nuances which are also dependent upon national / ethnic historicity. However, I recall an English judge many decades ago said the difference between "indecent" and "obscene" is that it is indecent when you simply walk down a public road naked, and obscene if you draw attention to yourself while doing so.
Wayne Cheah
<word-requests><synonyms><adjectives>
How to say "obscene": translate 下流 or 輕佻?
# How to say "obscene": translate 下流 or 輕佻?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-06-18)

I want to describe people wearing clothing as totally indecent and obscene, for instance because the clothing doesn’t remotely cover the buttocks. I am not talking about ordinary mini skirts or hot pants.

I definitely want to sound judging and don’t care to be nice to the person in question, but I don’t want the word in itself to be vulgar / unsuitable for use in writing.

I checked dictionaries for 'obscene' and found 下流. My Chinese friend says 下流 is very, very bad and out of proportion and recommended 輕佻, but dictionaries say this means 'skittish, flippant, giddy, frivolous'. These words seem much too cute to me, almost like I am not scolding the person.

How to grasp the difference between the two words?

**Tags:** word-requests, synonyms, adjectives
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I would say 有失体面 for indecent, and 放荡/浪荡 (similar to bitchy, a very offensive word) for obscene. So: 甲的衣着有失体面，看起来浪荡。  
> **username_2**: Why don't you care to be nice?  
> **username_3**: @WDC If the Queen of England having an argument with a commoner, that would be 有失体面 (not befitting of one's status and reputation); 放荡 means 'wanton' , someone dress provocative doesn't mean she is wantonly acting out her desire  
> **username_4**: Is there a reason *not* to use the common terms 变态 ('perverted') or 黄 ('dirty')?  
> **username_0**: @lly in the situation German obszön was the first thing to come to my mind. I would say it Is almost identical to obscene in English. I translated it as 下流 and both my Chinese friend and my teacher protested and proposed 輕佻。But the translation of 輕佻 seemed barely disapproving, so I became curious. In my opinion 變態 would also apply. With 黃 I don’t have any experience.  
> **username_0**: @Rodrigo some people confuse being nice with not really being offended. After having been warned, such people sometimes need a very clear indication of disapproval.  
> **username_5**: I don't think any one expression, (in any language),  would be universally acceptable or satisfactory because it is a judgemental issue compounded by cultural nuances which are also dependent upon national / ethnic historicity. However, I recall an English judge many decades ago said the difference between "indecent" and "obscene" is that it is indecent when you simply walk down a public road naked, and obscene if you draw attention to yourself while doing so.  

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-06-19. Score: 9

'Obscene' is not 下流(no class/ bad taste) or 輕佻 (frivolous)

One definition of obscene is 不堪入目 , it is used to describe perverted, immoral act or behavior

For example: Taking a child from his mother and claim it is all for enforcing the law (which is not true) is an obscene (不堪入耳- too perverted and immoral to the ears) argument

Another definition of obscene is 淫褻 or 不雅 (also means 'unsightly'), it is used to describe extreme sexually suggestive content or display

I would describe the skirt 不雅, 不堪入目 or 淫褻 if I was judgmental, but I rather call it 大膽 (bold) or 開放 (open)

*暴露 (revealing) is also a fitting description of that skirt*

**Edit:** from all the answers: "下流, 輕佻, 不堪入目, 大膽, 開放, 淫褻, 變態, 不三不四, 有伤风化" are all 'subjective opinions' (you can't say any of them is wrong, but you can disagree with all of them)

Only 暴露 is an 'objective description' (it is a correct statement based on fact. You can't argue with fact, that skirt does expose a lot of skin)


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2018-06-19. Score: 3

下流 describes indecent action or person, sexually harass is the typical 下流的行为, a voyeur is a 下流的人.

輕佻(轻佻) is slightly literary, only used for woman, it describes her characteristic.

This word is not very popular in modern times due to the opening up of society.

For the picture in you question, I would say it is a:

> 有伤风化的衣服

People could imagine it immediately.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 輕佻 apply to men too. 做人輕佻浮躁  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-06-19. Score: 3

> My Chinese friend says 下流 is very, very bad and out of proportion and recommended 輕佻, but dictionaries say this means 'skittish, flippant, giddy, frivolous'. These words seem much too cute to me, almost like I am not scolding the person.
>
> **How [does one] grasp the difference between the two words**?

# Sexism

You're not misunderstanding your vocabulary; you're misunderstanding the *beliefs* of the Chinese. Having talked this over with my Chinese friends, their understanding is that

# [下流](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8B%E6%B5%81)／[變態](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%AE%8A%E6%85%8B#Chinese)的人

*Xiàliú* ('indecent, base') or *biàntài* ('deviant, perverted') *de rén* are objectionable **men**.

# [輕佻](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%BC%95%E4%BD%BB)的人

*Qīngtiāo* ('flirty') *de rén* are **women** who take their social responsibilities lightly. Your photo can't be too objectionable *because* the woman is *attractive*; she's displaying herself openly and not being careful with her virtue, but she's nonetheless a *prima facie* object of beauty and grace.

The exact. same. outfit. worn by an overweight, aged, or otherwise unattractive woman would not be understood as *xiàliú* or *biàntài* and doesn't get the benefit of being considered *qīngtiāo*. They're just [噁心](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%99%81%E5%BF%83#Chinese) (*ěxin*): 'nauseating, revolting, disgusting'. **This** is where [Tang Ho's](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/30280/17462) [不堪入目](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8D%E5%A0%AA%E5%85%A5%E7%9B%AE) (*bùkānrùmù*) comes in, which is why your teacher and friend didn't think of it. Your ultraminiskirt model is objectively *not* 'unsightly' nor 'hard to look at'.

# [不三不四](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8D%E4%B8%89%E4%B8%8D%E5%9B%9B)

''Bùsānbùsì'' (lit. 'neither three nor four' meaning 'neither one thing nor the other, shady') is the closest you can get to being judgmental towards attractive women (also men!) without slipping into full-on animalistic slurs and swears.

# 太[露骨](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%9C%B2%E9%AA%A8)的

The dress itself is *tài lùgǔ de* ('too open; blunt; lewd'). [SXZM's](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/30276/17462) [情趣](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%83%85%E8%B6%A3)[用品](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%94%A8%E5%93%81) (*qíngqù yòngpǐn*)—lit. 'funtime product(s)'—is the Chinese for anything you'd find in a sex shop, incl. those cheap overly skimpy costumes. There's no strong tradition of strippers in China so, to describe the women who wear *qíngqù yòngpǐn*, you have to just say 'she looks like a whore' or—what they *do* have a tradition of—'she's *xǐtóufáng de*' ([洗頭](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B4%97%E9%A0%AD#Chinese)房的). She looks like [she works at a 'shampoo place'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLRZ0dIvwHY).

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: I strongly believe that 輕佻的人 is incorrect in this answer, as least it has nothing to do with genders.  
> **username_7**: Note to OP: this answer is subjective / bias and misleading with some of the word's meaning.  
> **username_7**: 輕佻: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%BD%BB%E4%BD%BB/9732891  
> **username_3**: 露骨 means 'obvious / undisguised' not suitable in this instance  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2018-06-18. Score: 2

maybe "情趣用品 (sex toys) 耶?" with "asking attitude"

imo, a "real" miniskirt would be described as 輕佻, at least, it could be wear in public.

the link you provided, it could only be wear before. . .

> describe people wearing clothing as totally indecent and obscene

another word would be "變態㗎" (~abnormal), with disapproval attitude :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Not sure 变态 can be applied here for my best knowledge in Mandarin and Cantonese. Usually 变态 is for describing people, not clothing.  
> **username_8**: then i must be 古老石山 lah :)  
> **username_8**: btw, my suggestions are based on that "super-mini-skirt" of the link,not derived from the word "obscene" :)  
> **username_2**: @WDC If the morality (more open or more closed) towards sex varies, thus will the word chosen, won't it?  
> **username_3**: @WDC 变态 means 'perverted', it is an adjective, sure it can be used to describe objects like publications or clothing  
> **username_1**: @TangHo In my daily life I have seldom seen 变态 for clothing description in Mainland China. Maybe there are regions it is applicable to clothing. If aware please let me know.  

---

### Answer by username_9 on 2018-06-19. Score: 2

In your case I think "猥琐" is nice to use, and it's frequently used in oral Chinese.

"轻佻" occurs more in classical or written Chinese, normally we would not speak it out.

"下流" is more about immoral behavior, less about clothing.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: *https://zh.wiktionary.org/zh-hant/%E7%8C%A5%E7%90%90 猥瑣，原指舉止扭捏、拘束、不自然；或形容人體貌、氣質不佳。貶義詞。 常同時有自私的表現。* 猥瑣 is mainly a  description of one's **disgusting** behavior, personality or physical appearance.  
> **username_8**: further, as i think of, "猥瑣" is for male only, e.g. 猥瑣佬. absolutely not for female wearing such mini-mini-skirt :)  

---

### Answer by username_10 on 2018-06-19. Score: 1

轻佻 describes flippant/brazen behaviors, e.g. 他的行为举止很轻佻, or a person in general.

下流 can be more widely applied and is also more usual in modern Chinese. A behavior can be 下流, so can a book, a word, a gesture, a video etc. Also it is almost strictly constrained to sex-related connotations.

Neither of the words sounds really appropriate in this context of describing clothing though, especially if you don't know the person well. You may say the clothing looks too 开放，暴露，有伤风化 etc., which are somewhat more neutral in their connotations. It's not really a problem of being "nice" or not as you described in your question; you'd sound outright unnatural if you used either of those two words in this scenario.


---

