biǎnzhí: 贬值 - Devalue, Depreciate

• Keywords: 贬值, bianzhi, devalue in Chinese, depreciate in Chinese, Chinese currency, RMB devalues, currency depreciation, what does bianzhi mean, 学历贬值, value decrease, Chinese economics term
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of 贬值 (biǎnzhí), a crucial Chinese term for “devalue” or “depreciate.” This guide explores its primary use in economics, like currency devaluation (人民币贬值), and its powerful metaphorical use in modern Chinese society to describe the diminishing value of things like academic degrees or professional skills. Understand its cultural context, see practical examples, and learn to distinguish it from similar words.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): biǎn zhí
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To decrease in value; to devalue or depreciate.
• In a Nutshell: 贬值 (biǎnzhí) is most commonly used in finance and economics to describe when something, like a currency or a car, loses its value over time. However, it has a broader, powerful metaphorical meaning in Chinese, referring to anything that becomes less valuable due to oversupply or changing times, such as a college degree or a once-rare skill.

• 贬 (biǎn): This character means to reduce, decrease, or belittle. It's composed of 贝 (bèi), the symbol for shells, which were used as ancient currency, and another component. Think of it as a reduction in monetary value.
• 值 (zhí): This character means “value” or “worth.” It's made of the “person” radical 亻(rén) and 直 (zhí), meaning “straight” or “direct.” You can imagine it as a person's direct assessment of an item's worth.
• The characters combine literally to mean “reduce value,” a direct and logical representation of the word's meaning.

In China, 贬值 (biǎnzhí) extends far beyond the financial pages. It taps directly into the anxieties of a rapidly changing and intensely competitive society. While an American might say “a college degree isn't worth as much as it used to be,” the Chinese concept of 学历贬值 (xuélì biǎnzhí) — “devaluation of academic qualifications” — is a specific, widely discussed social phenomenon. This is driven by concepts like 内卷 (nèijuǎn), or “involution,” where immense competition leads to diminishing returns for everyone involved. For example, when millions of students graduate with master's degrees, the perceived value of that degree 贬值s, forcing people to pursue even higher qualifications just to stay competitive. This contrasts with the Western concept of “depreciation,” which is almost exclusively financial or technical (e.g., a car depreciates). In China, 贬值 is a social lens used to evaluate the shifting worth of skills, assets, and social capital in a market-driven, high-stakes environment. It reflects a collective awareness of how supply and demand affect not just goods, but personal and professional status.

贬值 (biǎnzhí) is used in both formal and informal contexts, but its connotation is almost always negative or a statement of unfortunate fact.

• Economics and Finance (Most Common): This is the term's primary and most literal use. You will see it constantly in news reports about currency, stocks, or housing.
  • e.g., Talking about the exchange rate, assets losing value.
• Social and Professional Value: This metaphorical use is extremely common in discussions about careers, education, and social trends. It's used to describe a perceived loss of prestige or utility.
  • e.g., Discussing how a once-valuable skill is now commonplace and therefore has “devalued.”
• Abstract Concepts: Less frequently, it can be used for abstract things like promises or trust.
  • e.g., If someone constantly breaks their promises, their words have “devalued.”

• Example 1:
  • 最近人民币贬值得很快。
  • Pinyin: Zuìjìn rénmínbì biǎnzhí de hěn kuài.
  • English: The RMB has been devaluing quickly recently.
  • Analysis: A classic and straightforward example of 贬值 used in its primary economic context.
• Example 2:
  • 和新车相比，二手车会贬值很多。
  • Pinyin: Hé xīn chē xiāngbǐ, èrshǒu chē huì biǎnzhí hěn duō.
  • English: Compared to new cars, used cars depreciate a lot.
  • Analysis: This shows 贬值 being used for physical assets, just like “depreciate” in English.
• Example 3:
  • 很多人担心，大学文凭是不是在不断贬值？
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō rén dānxīn, dàxué wénpíng shì bu shì zài búduàn biǎnzhí?
  • English: Many people worry whether university diplomas are continuously devaluing.
  • Analysis: This is a perfect example of the term's important metaphorical use in social commentary.
• Example 4:
  • 随着科技的发展，许多传统技能都贬值了。
  • Pinyin: Suízhe kējì de fāzhǎn, xǔduō chuántǒng jìnéng dōu biǎnzhí le.
  • English: With the development of technology, many traditional skills have lost their value.
  • Analysis: This highlights how societal changes can cause the “value” of a skill to 贬值.
• Example 5:
  • 如果一个国家过度印钞，其货币就会贬值。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ yí ge guójiā guòdù yìnchāo, qí huòbì jiù huì biǎnzhí.
  • English: If a country prints too much money, its currency will devalue.
  • Analysis: This sentence explains a cause-and-effect relationship in economics using 贬值.
• Example 6:
  • 由于经济不景气，我投资的股票贬值了百分之二十。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú jīngjì bù jǐngqì, wǒ tóuzī de gǔpiào biǎnzhí le bǎifēnzhī èrshí.
  • English: Due to the economic downturn, the stocks I invested in have depreciated by twenty percent.
  • Analysis: A specific, quantifiable example of financial 贬值.
• Example 7:
  • 如果你总是说话不算数，你的承诺就会贬值。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ zǒngshì shuōhuà bú suàn shù, nǐ de chéngnuò jiù huì biǎnzhí.
  • English: If you always go back on your word, your promises will lose their value.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the term's application to abstract concepts like trust and promises.
• Example 8:
  • 为了刺激出口，有些国家会故意让本国货币贬值。
  • Pinyin: Wèile cìjī chūkǒu, yǒuxiē guójiā huì gùyì ràng běnguó huòbì biǎnzhí.
  • English: In order to stimulate exports, some countries will intentionally devalue their own currency.
  • Analysis: This introduces the idea of 贬值 as an intentional policy action, using the “让 (ràng)…贬值” (make…devalue) structure.
• Example 9:
  • 在这个信息爆炸的时代，知识本身似乎也在贬值。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhè ge xìnxī bàozhà de shídài, zhīshi běnshēn sìhū yě zài biǎnzhí.
  • English: In this era of information explosion, knowledge itself also seems to be devaluing.
  • Analysis: A more philosophical use of 贬值, reflecting on the modern condition.
• Example 10:
  • 他觉得自己的经验在新公司里贬值了，因为没人重视。
  • Pinyin: Tā juéde zìjǐ de jīngyàn zài xīn gōngsī lǐ biǎnzhí le, yīnwèi méi rén zhòngshì.
  • English: He felt his experience was devalued in the new company because nobody valued it.
  • Analysis: This shows how a person can feel their personal assets (like experience) have 贬值 within a specific context. It's not about the person themselves, but the value of their skills in that environment.

• 贬值 (biǎnzhí) vs. 降价 (jiàngjià): This is a critical distinction.
  • 贬值 refers to a decrease in inherent market value, often due to external forces (e.g., “The house's value depreciated - 房子贬值了”).
  • 降价 (jiàngjià) means “to cut the price.” It's an action taken by a seller (e.g., “The owner cut the price of the house - 房主给房子降价了”). A price cut (降价) is often a result of devaluation (贬值).
• Don't Use It to Insult People Directly: While you can say someone's skills or status have 贬值ed, saying “你贬值了” (Nǐ biǎnzhí le - “You have devalued”) directly to a person is extremely strange and insulting. It treats them like a commodity. The term is used to analyze a situation or status, not to describe a person's intrinsic worth.
• Not a Synonym for “Belittle”: The character 贬 is part of the word 贬低 (biǎndī), which means “to belittle” or “to demean.” You 贬低 a person or their idea. You don't 贬值 a person. A currency, an asset, or a skill 贬值s on its own or due to market forces.

• 升值 (shēngzhí) - The direct antonym of 贬值. It means to appreciate or increase in value.
• 保值 (bǎozhí) - To preserve or maintain value. Gold (黄金) is often considered a 保值 asset.
• 降价 (jiàngjià) - To lower a price. An action, distinct from the state of having less value.
• 价值 (jiàzhí) - Value, worth. The core concept that 贬值 modifies.
• 贬低 (biǎndī) - To belittle, demean, denigrate. Focuses on criticism and putting someone down, not on economic or social value.
• 汇率 (huìlǜ) - Exchange rate. The most common context for discussing currency 贬值 or 升值.
• 通货膨胀 (tōnghuò péngzhàng) - Inflation. A key economic concept where money loses its purchasing power, which is a form of 贬值.
• 内卷 (nèijuǎn) - “Involution.” A popular sociological term for the intense internal competition that leads to the devaluation of effort and qualifications.