侈

Phono-semantic compound:

人 (사람 인) — semantic element, indicates human behavior, conduct, attitude.

多 (많을 다) — phonetic element, gives the sound chi / tá and contributes meaning “excess.”

Thus the original sense is “a person (人) engaging in excess (多)” → extravagant, excessive behavior.

This character has kept essentially the same semantic range for over 2000 years.

In Korean, 侈(치) appears mainly in classical, literary, or academic vocabulary, often alongside 奢.

Luxury / extravagance:

侈靡 (치미) — 사치스럽고 방탕함; extravagance; decadence

侈費 (치비) — 낭비; 사치스러운 지출; wasteful spending

奢侈 (사치) — 과도한 사치; luxury, extravagance (≈ with 奢)

侈談 (치담) — 허풍 섞인 말; boastful or exaggerated talk

Excess / overabundance:

侈大 (치대) — 지나치게 크거나 많음; excessively large

侈麗 (치려) — 화려하고 사치로움; luxurious and splendid

Arrogance / indulgence:

侈傲 (치오) — 거만하고 사치스러움; arrogant and excessive

侈淫 (치음) — 방탕하고 음란함; licentious excess (classical)

侈心 (치심) — 탐욕스러운 마음; extravagant or greedy heart

侈 is a strongly negative moral term throughout Korean literature.

In many texts 侈 and 奢 form near-synonymous pairs:

奢 — luxurious, extravagant (especially in wealth and material things)

侈 — excessive, wasteful, unrestrained (broader moral field; includes speech, desires, behavior)

侈 often carries a stronger moral condemnation.

Many political and economic treatises use 侈 to describe:

- corrupt elites

- wasteful taxation

- moral decay of courts

- economic harm caused by excessive spending

The character frequently appears in discussions about ethical governance.

Classical citations:

《史記·貨殖列傳》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「侈靡之費，以傷國用。」

“Extravagant and wasteful spending damages the state’s resources.”

侈靡 = wasteful luxury.

《漢書·食貨志》 (Book of Han)

「侈而無度，民受其害。」

“When extravagance knows no bounds, the people suffer its harm.”

《論衡·量知》 (Lunheng)

「侈心生欲。」

“From an extravagant heart arises desire.”

侈心 = indulgent, unrestrained heart.

《六韜·龍韜》 (Six Secret Teachings)

「侈言無實，不可信也。」

“Boastful speech without substance cannot be trusted.”

侈言 = boastful, exaggerated speech.

《荀子·王制》 (Xunzi)

「侈而不節，則財用不足。」

“Extravagance without restraint leads to insufficient resources.”

侈 is presented as a vice opposed to frugality (儉).

Not to be confused with similar-looking characters:

佁 (치, “멍하다”) — unrelated

侮 (모욕할 모) — different meaning

佘 (사) — different phonetic family