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懈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
懈xièidle, relaxed; negligent, remissvg, 16 strokes, radical 忄, rank #68406, Very Hard
懈xièlaxunknown, 16 strokes, radical 忄, rank #68406, Very Hard
xiè(xie4)xie T4
  1. 1idle, relaxed; negligent, remiss
  2. 2lax
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March 24, 2026

懈xiè(xie4)

The character 懈 (xiè) conveys a sense of idleness or negligence. It is often used to describe a relaxed attitude or a lack of diligence in tasks or responsibilities, implying that one is not putting in the necessary effort or attention. This term can be applied in both personal and professional contexts, highlighting a failure to maintain standards or focus.

Strokes16Radical忄Frequency#68406DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, diligence and hard work are highly valued, often emphasized in education and the workplace. The use of 懈 can reflect societal disapproval of negligence, tapping into cultural norms that prioritize effort and responsibility.

Memory tip

Imagine a sloth (which represents laziness) sitting on a relaxing hammock, with the character 懈 acting like a hammock that makes you feel too relaxed to get up. The character's left side resembles a person (亻) who is too comfortable to act, reinforcing the meaning of being idle.

Meanings of 懈

xiè(xie4)
1idle, relaxed; negligent, remiss
2lax
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 懈

懈Simplified
16Strokes
忄Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 懈

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Podcast: 懈

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AI Study Notes for 懈

Quick Contrast

懒 (lǎn, lazy) - use 懈 when referring specifically to negligence in tasks, while 懒 emphasizes a general unwillingness to exert effort.

Usage Notes

Learners should avoid confusing 懈 with similar-sounding characters that have positive connotations, such as 嫌 (xián) meaning dislike. This word is more commonly used in informal contexts when describing someone's attitude or behavior, so use it with care to avoid sounding overly critical.

HSK Study Tips

While 懈 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with HSK Level 3 and 4 words related to attitudes and behavior. Students should focus on understanding its usage in phrases and associated vocabulary that describe diligence and effort.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 懈 by confusing it with related characters like 照 (zhào) or 些 (xiē), leading to incorrect meanings. Ensure you practice the correct pronunciation xiè to avoid misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 懈

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Etymology of 懈

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 解 represents the sound.

Memory hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)解
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

懈 = 忄 + 解. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 懈

IDS Structure⿰忄解
懈Full character
=
忄xin1
left
解jie3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 懈?

How to say idle, relaxed; negligent, remiss in Chinese

“idle, relaxed; negligent, remiss” in Chinese is懈xiè

The character 懈 (xiè) conveys a sense of idleness or negligence. It is often used to describe a relaxed attitude or a lack of diligence in tasks or responsibilities, implying that one is not putting in the necessary effort or attention. This term can be applied in both personal and professional contexts, highlighting a failure to maintain standards or focus.

When to use 懈

Learners should avoid confusing 懈 with similar-sounding characters that have positive connotations, such as 嫌 (xián) meaning dislike. This word is more commonly used in informal contexts when describing someone's attitude or behavior, so use it with care to avoid sounding overly critical.

懈 or something close to it

懒 (lǎn, lazy) - use 懈 when referring specifically to negligence in tasks, while 懒 emphasizes a general unwillingness to exert effort.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 懈 by confusing it with related characters like 照 (zhào) or 些 (xiē), leading to incorrect meanings. Ensure you practice the correct pronunciation xiè to avoid misunderstandings.

Write 懈

懈

Practice writing 懈 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 懈

懈 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

坚持不____的人,必定能取得成功。

Those who persevere will certainly achieve success.

Example Sentences for 懈 (5)

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1
钱德拉决心做一名医生,她的坚持不懈得到了回报。

qián dé lā juéxīn zuò yī míng yīshēng, tā de jiānchíbùxiè dédào le huíbào。

Chandra was determined to become a doctor and her persistence paid off.
2
她警告说对待通货膨胀不能有一丝的懈怠。

tā jǐnggào shuō duìdài tōnghuòpéngzhàng bù néng yǒu yī sī de xiè dài。

She warned that there was no room for complacency on inflation.
3
问题之一是对机场员工的安检措施马虎松懈。

wèntí zhīyī shì duì jīchǎng yuángōng de ānjiǎn cuòshī mǎhu sōngxiè。

One of the problem areas is lax security for airport personnel.
4
加德纳一直不懈地追求古典音乐演奏的高水准。

jiā dé nà yìzhí búxiè dì zhuīqiú gǔdiǎn yīnyuè yǎnzòu de gāo shuǐzhǔn。

Gardiner has pursued relentlessly high standards in performing classical music.
5
不懈的努力让她重拾信心.

búxiè de nǔlì ràng tā zhòng shè xìnxīn.

And the hard work built up her confidence.

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Word Family of 懈

Words containing this character10
不懈búxièuntiring
无懈可击invulnerable無懈可擊
坚持不懈jiānchíbùxièto persevere unremittingly (idiom); to keep going until the end堅持不懈
松懈to relax鬆懈
懈怠slack
懈xièlax
懈惰slack
夙夜匪懈to work from morning to night (idiom)
懈弛slack (discipline)
懈气to slacken off懈氣
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 懈

What does 不懈 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 懈

You can say '他对工作很懈怠' (Tā duì gōngzuò hěn xièdài), meaning 'He is very negligent towards his work.'

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