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疲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
疲píwearyzg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #17148, Very Hard
疲píweak, tired, exhaustedzg, 10 strokes, radical 疒, rank #17148, Very Hard
pí(pi2)pi T2
  1. 1weary
  2. 2weak, tired, exhausted
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March 24, 2026

疲pí(pi2)

The character 疲 (pí) means 'weary' or 'tired,' often referring to a state of physical or mental exhaustion. It is commonly used in contexts related to fatigue, both in everyday situations and in literary works, emphasizing a sense of depletion or weariness.

Strokes10Radical疒Frequency#17148DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of fatigue is often linked to the importance of balance between work and rest. Traditional practices like Tai Chi and Qigong emphasize energy management, where recognizing one's fatigue can be crucial for health and well-being.

Memory tip

Imagine a person who has run a long marathon, their legs feeling like they are made of clay (the radical 疒, meaning illness, hints at the fatigue). The sound 'pí' can remind you of 'pee,' which can happen when you're too tired to hold it in during a race. Visualize the exhausted runner collapsing at the finish line.

Meanings of 疲

pí(pi2)
1weary
2weak, tired, exhausted
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 疲 means.

About 疲

疲Simplified
10Strokes
疒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#17148Frequency Rank

Podcast: 疲

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Podcast: 疲

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AI study notes for 疲

Quick Contrast

疲 (tired) vs 累 (tired/weary) — use 疲 when emphasizing a state of exhaustion, while 累 can imply a more general sense of tiredness.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 疲 (pí) with similar sounding words that convey different meanings, such as 皮 (pí, skin). It's generally used in both formal and informal settings, but is more common in everyday conversation. Typical collocations include 疲惫 (píbèi, exhausted) and 精疲力竭 (jīngpí lìjié, completely worn out).

HSK Study Tips

Although 疲 (pí) isn't on the official HSK lists, it connects well with HSK 3 and 4 vocabulary focused on feelings and states of being, like 累 (lèi, tired) and 痛 (tòng, pain). Students should focus on vocabulary related to emotions and health for better contextual understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 疲 by mixing it with 皮 (pí), leading to sentences like '我很皮' (Wǒ hěn pí), which is incorrect. The correct phrase should be '我很疲' (Wǒ hěn pí) to express tiredness.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 疲

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Etymology of 疲

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

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

Memory hint

sickness

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

Origin

疲 = 疒 + 皮. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 疲

IDS Structure⿸疒皮
疲Full character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
皮Pi2
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 疲?

How to say weary in Chinese

“weary” in Chinese is疲pí

The character 疲 (pí) means 'weary' or 'tired,' often referring to a state of physical or mental exhaustion. It is commonly used in contexts related to fatigue, both in everyday situations and in literary works, emphasizing a sense of depletion or weariness.

When to use 疲

Be cautious not to confuse 疲 (pí) with similar sounding words that convey different meanings, such as 皮 (pí, skin). It's generally used in both formal and informal settings, but is more common in everyday conversation. Typical collocations include 疲惫 (píbèi, exhausted) and 精疲力竭 (jīngpí lìjié, completely worn out).

疲 or something close to it

疲 (tired) vs 累 (tired/weary) — use 疲 when emphasizing a state of exhaustion, while 累 can imply a more general sense of tiredness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often misuse 疲 by mixing it with 皮 (pí), leading to sentences like '我很皮' (Wǒ hěn pí), which is incorrect. The correct phrase should be '我很疲' (Wǒ hěn pí) to express tiredness.

Write 疲

疲

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

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Grammar patterns of 疲

疲 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

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

医生们抱怨他们____于应付医药公司的销售人员。

Doctors are complaining about being barraged by drug-company salesmen.

Common confusions with 疲

疲vs罢
bà

Similar shape but different meaning; different radical.

Exercise 1 of 1

Which one

Which one means “weary”?

or

Example sentences for 疲 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
医生们抱怨他们疲于应付医药公司的销售人员。

yīshēng men bàoyuàn tāmen pí yú yìngfu yīyào gōngsī de xiāoshòu rényuán。

Doctors are complaining about being barraged by drug-company salesmen.
2
弗内斯疲倦地耸了耸肩。这事他早就全知道了。

fú nèi Sī píjuàn dì sǒng le sǒng jiān。 zhè shì tā zǎojiù quán zhīdào le。

Furness shrugs wearily. He has heard it all before.
3
她不得不疲惫地步行穿过伦敦,这让她相当生气。

tā bùdébù píbèi dìbù xíng chuānguò lún dūn, zhè ràng tā xiāngdāng shēngqì。

She was rather cross about having to trail across London.
4
你一定注意到他有时候显得特别疲惫。

nǐ yídìng zhùyì dào tā yǒushíhou xiǎnde tèbié píbèi。

You must have noticed how tired he sometimes looks.
5
他是1月9号到的,蓬头垢面,疲惫不堪。

tā shì1 yuè9 hào dào de, péng tóu gòu miàn, píbèi bùkān。

He arrived on January 9, disheveled and much the worse for wear.
6
他不知疲倦地努力为新项目寻求资金。

tā bùzhī píjuàn dì nǔlì wèi xīn xiàngmù xúnqiú zījīn。

He was indefatigable in his efforts to secure funding for new projects.
7
他是个为了正义不知疲倦地工作的人。

tā shì gè wèile zhèngyì bùzhī píjuàn dì gōngzuò de rén。

He was a tireless worker for justice.
8
你还好吧?你看上去十分疲惫。

nǐ hái hǎo ba? nǐ kànshangqu shífēn píbèi。

Are you all right? You look dreadful.
9
孩子们疲倦时易烦躁好哭。

háizi men píjuàn shí yì fánzào hǎo kū。

Children often get fractious and tearful when tired.
10
他的西服皱巴巴的,整个人显得非常疲惫。

tā de xī fú zhòu Bā Bā de, zhěnggè rén xiǎnde fēicháng píbèi。

His suit was wrinkled and he looked very tired.

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Word Family of 疲

Words containing this character16
疲劳píláofatigue疲勞
疲惫píbèibeaten疲憊
疲倦píjuànto tire
疲píweary
精疲力尽jīngpílìjìndrained精疲力盡
筋疲力尽jīnpílìjìnspent筋疲力盡
疲软píruǎntired and feeble疲軟
精疲力竭jīngpílìjiédrained
乐此不疲lècǐ-bùpíto enjoy sth and never tire of it (idiom)樂此不疲
疲弱píruòtired
疲乏pífátired
疲于奔命píyúbēnmìngup to one's ears in work疲於奔命
疲累pílèitired
疲沓pítaslack
疲困píkùnfatigued
疲塌pítaslack
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 疲

What does 疲劳 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 疲

You can say '我今天很疲惫' (Wǒ jīntiān hěn píbèi), meaning 'I am very tired today.'

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