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癔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
癔yìhysterian, 18 strokes, radical 疒, rank #39668, Very Hard
yì(yi4) T4
  1. 1hysteria
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

癔yì(yi4)

The character 癔 (yì) refers to hysteria, a psychological condition characterized by exaggerated or uncontrollable emotions. It is commonly used in medical contexts, particularly in discussions about mental health disorders like 癔病 (yì bìng), which translates to 'hysteria' or 'hysterical disorder'. The term carries a historical weight in Chinese medicine and psychology, often linked to emotional disturbances.

Strokes18Radical疒Frequency#39668DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of hysteria is often linked to the balance of emotions and physical health. This connection reflects broader cultural beliefs about the interplay between mental and physical well-being in Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Think of 癔 (yì) as a 'yeti' that is hidden away, representing the hidden emotions that can lead to hysteria. The two parts of the character can be visualized as a person (the left component) experiencing a storm of emotions (the right component, 疒, related to illness). This image can help remember both the shape and significance.

Meanings of 癔

yì(yi4)
1hysteria
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 癔

癔Simplified
18Strokes
疒Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 癔

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Podcast: 癔

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AI Study Notes for 癔

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 癔 with similar-sounding terms; be careful not to mix it up with words related to physical illnesses. The tone is crucial: ensure you pronounce it with the fourth tone (yì). It's more commonly used in formal medical discussions rather than everyday conversation.

HSK Study Tips

Though 癔 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects to other medical and psychological terms. Students should focus on understanding how mental health terms are constructed in Chinese and recognize the significance of the 疒 radical, which denotes illness.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 癔, confusing it with other similar-sounding terms. For example, saying 'yǐ' instead of 'yì' can lead to misunderstandings. Always practice the correct pronunciation to avoid confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 癔

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Etymology of 癔

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

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 意 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
Phonetic (sound)意
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 癔

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 意 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half意 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysickness
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 癔? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 癔?

Decomposition of 癔

IDS Structure⿸疒意
癔Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
意Yi4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 癔?

How to say hysteria in Chinese

“hysteria” in Chinese is癔yì

The character 癔 (yì) refers to hysteria, a psychological condition characterized by exaggerated or uncontrollable emotions. It is commonly used in medical contexts, particularly in discussions about mental health disorders like 癔病 (yì bìng), which translates to 'hysteria' or 'hysterical disorder'. The term carries a historical weight in Chinese medicine and psychology, often linked to emotional disturbances.

When to use 癔

Learners often confuse 癔 with similar-sounding terms; be careful not to mix it up with words related to physical illnesses. The tone is crucial: ensure you pronounce it with the fourth tone (yì). It's more commonly used in formal medical discussions rather than everyday conversation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 癔, confusing it with other similar-sounding terms. For example, saying 'yǐ' instead of 'yì' can lead to misunderstandings. Always practice the correct pronunciation to avoid confusion.

Write 癔

癔

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 癔

Words Containing This Character2
癔病hysteria
癔yìhysteria
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 癔病 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 癔

No, 癔 is primarily used in medical contexts and is not frequently used in casual conversation.

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