In Chinese culture, there has traditionally been a high value placed on refinement, subtlety, and scholarly pursuits. The concept of 雅 (yǎ), meaning elegance or refinement, is the cultural ideal. 庸俗 (yōngsú) is its direct antithesis. 庸俗 is a powerful social critique, often used by intellectuals or those with “old money” to look down upon the 暴发户 (bàofāhù), or the “nouveau riche”—those who acquire wealth rapidly but lack the cultural capital to go with it. It reflects a tension between material success and cultural sophistication. A person can be a billionaire and still be considered extremely 庸俗 if their behavior, taste, and conversation are perceived as shallow and ostentatious. A good Western comparison is the word “philistine” or “kitsch.”
However, 庸俗 uniquely combines both ideas into one common, cutting adjective that judges both the object and the person's character and worldview. It's not just “ugly”—it's a statement about a person's values.
庸俗 is a common term used to express disapproval of someone's taste or behavior. It is almost always negative and judgmental.