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累 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
累lěitiredHSK 2, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito accumulateHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito involve or implicateHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěicontinuousHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěirepeatedHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěiwearyHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito strainHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito wear outHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito work hardHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěiropeHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito bind togetherHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito twist aroundHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěitired; to accumulate; to involve; bother, nuisanceHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěito involve or implicate (Taiwan pr. [lei4])HSK 2, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lěisurname LeiHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèitiredHSK 2, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito accumulateHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito involve or implicateHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèicontinuousHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèirepeatedHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèiwearyHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito strainHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito wear outHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito work hardHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèiropeHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito bind togetherHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito twist aroundHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèitired; to accumulate; to involve; bother, nuisanceHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèito involve or implicate (Taiwan pr. [lei4])HSK 2, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累lèisurname LeiHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léitiredHSK 2, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito accumulateHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito involve or implicateHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léicontinuousHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léirepeatedHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léiwearyHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito strainHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito wear outHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito work hardHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léiropeHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito bind togetherHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito twist aroundHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léitired; to accumulate; to involve; bother, nuisanceHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léito involve or implicate (Taiwan pr. [lei4])HSK 2, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
累léisurname LeiHSK 2, a, 11 strokes, radical 糸, rank #1222, Easy
lèi(lei4)lei
primary
 T4
  1. 1tired
  2. 2to accumulate
Also a Chinese surname, Lei — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

累lèi(lei4)

The character 累 (léi) primarily means 'tired' or 'weary.' It can also imply the act of accumulating or binding things together, both physically and metaphorically. Commonly used in contexts related to fatigue from work, stress, or physical exertion.

Strokes11Radical糸Frequency#1222DifficultyEasy
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, acknowledging one's tiredness is often seen as a sign of hard work and dedication. This reflects the value placed on diligence in both personal and professional settings.

Memory tip

Imagine a rope (the radical 糸, meaning 'to bind') that gets twisted and worn out with use. Each twist represents your effort, and the more you twist, the more tired (累) you become. Visualize laboriously tying knots in this rope until you feel exhausted!

Meanings of 累

lèi(lei4)
primary
1tired
2to accumulate
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 累

累Simplified
11Strokes
糸Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#1222Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1BCT✓CEFRA1

Podcast: 累

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Podcast: 累

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AI study notes for 累

Quick Contrast

疲惫 (píbèi) vs 累 (lèi): use 累 for general tiredness, while 疲惫 emphasizes extreme exhaustion.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 累 (léi) with other similar-sounding words. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, often with phrases like '我累了' (I am tired). Be mindful of the tone; a mispronunciation can change the meaning completely.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 2 word, 累 connects well with other basic verbs and adjectives related to feelings and actions. Focus on sentence structures that express personal states or experiences, such as '我觉得累' (I feel tired).

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 累 (léi) in place of other words like 忙 (máng) when they mean 'busy'. For example, saying '我累' (I am busy) instead of '我忙' (I am busy) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 累

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Etymology of 累

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

Simplified form of 纍; growing silk 糸 in the fields 畾; 畾 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 累?

Decomposition of 累

IDS Structure⿱田糸
累Full character
=
田Tian2
top
糸mi4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 累?

How to say tired in Chinese

“tired” in Chinese is累lěi

The character 累 (léi) primarily means 'tired' or 'weary.' It can also imply the act of accumulating or binding things together, both physically and metaphorically. Commonly used in contexts related to fatigue from work, stress, or physical exertion.

When to use 累

Learners often confuse 累 (léi) with other similar-sounding words. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, often with phrases like '我累了' (I am tired). Be mindful of the tone; a mispronunciation can change the meaning completely.

累 or something close to it

疲惫 (píbèi) vs 累 (lèi): use 累 for general tiredness, while 疲惫 emphasizes extreme exhaustion.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 累 (léi) in place of other words like 忙 (máng) when they mean 'busy'. For example, saying '我累' (I am busy) instead of '我忙' (I am busy) is incorrect.

Write 累

累

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

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Grammar patterns of 累

累 carries 15 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 3

Fill the gap

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

因为很____，所以我今天不想做饭了。

Because I am very tired, I do not want to cook today.

Example sentences for 累 (15)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
unknowntired5
1
我今天工作很累，想早点休息。

Wǒ jīntiān gōngzuò hěn lèi, xiǎng zǎodiǎn xiūxi.

I am very tired from work today, and I want to rest early.
2
你走了这么多路，一定累了吧？

Nǐ zǒu le zhème duō lù, yídìng lèi le ba?

You walked so much, you must be tired, right?
3
小猫玩了一天，现在看起来很累。

Xiǎo māo wán le yì tiān, xiànzài kàn qǐlái hěn lèi.

The kitten played all day and now looks very tired.
4
今天爬山，我觉得很累。

Jīntiān páshān, wǒ juéde hěn lèi.

I feel very tired after hiking today.
5
她昨天晚上没睡好，所以今天很累。

Tā zuótiān wǎnshàng méi shuì hǎo, suǒyǐ jīntiān hěn lèi.

She didn't sleep well last night, so she is very tired today.
ato accumulate10
6
你不该总是为了做到尽善尽美而累坏自己。

nǐ bù gāi zǒngshì wèile zuòdào jìn shàn jìn měi ér lèi huài zìjǐ。

You shouldn't always have to kill yourself to do well.
7
“又累又激动”是形容人喝醉酒的一种委婉说法。

“ yòu lèi yòu jīdòng” shì xíngróng rén hē zuì jiǔ de yī zhǒng wěiwǎn shuōfǎ。

"Tired and emotional" is a code word for being drunk.
8
那次乘长途大巴遍游该国，你肯定累得精疲力竭。

nà cì chéng chángtú dàbā biàn yóu gāi guó， nǐ kěndìng lèi de jīngpílìjié。

You must be tuckered out after that bus trip across the country.
9
经过那趟旅程之后，你看上去真是累坏了。

jīngguò nà tàng lǚchéng zhīhòu， nǐ kànshangqu zhēnshi lèi huài le。

You looked half dead after that journey.
10
这家机构把它那复杂累赘的名称改得好记一些了。

zhè jiā jīgòu bǎ tā nà fùzá léizhui de míngchēng gǎi de hǎo jì yìxiē le。

The organization changed its cumbersome title to something easier to remember.
11
他可能会因为劳累过度而英年早逝。

tā kěnéng huì yīnwèi láolèi guòdù ér Yīng nián zǎo shì。

He might burn himself out and go to an early grave.
12
普丽姆罗丝累得精神都有些恍惚了，开始哭着说她饿了。

pǔ lí mǔ luō sī lèi de jīngshen dōu yǒuxiē huǎng hū le， kāishǐ kū zhe shuō tā è le。

Primrose, stupefied by tiredness, began to wail that she was hungry.
13
今天很忙，我累坏了。

jīntiān hěnmáng， wǒ lèi huài le。

I had a busy day and was rather tired.
14
纵情狂欢了一夜后，他看起来累了。

zòng qíng kuánghuān le yī yè hòu， tā kànqǐlai lèi le。

After a long evening of partying he looked tired.
15
黑格注意到了他“看上去消瘦，非常劳累”的样子。

hēi gé zhùyì dào le tā“ kànshangqu xiāo shòu， fēicháng láolèi” de yàngzi。

Haig noted how he "looked pinched and rather tired".

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Word Family of 累

Compounds15
螺luóspiral shell, conch; spiral
骡luómule
摞luòto pile up
嫘léisurname
樏lěi
漯luòa river in northern Shandong
瘰luǒscrofula, swellings
磥lěi
缧léichains, bonds
蔂léi
傫lěi
縲léi
鏍luó
镙luó
騾luómule
Words containing this character20
累lèitired
累计lěijìto accumulate累計
积累jīlěito accumulate積累
累积lěijīto accumulate累積
拖累tuōlěito encumber
劳累láolèitired勞累
连累liánleito involve連累
累累léiléipiles of
累赘léizhuisuperfluous累贅
受累shòulěito get dragged into
负债累累fùzhàilěilěideep in debt負債累累
累及lěijíto involve
累垮lèikuǎto collapse
日积月累rìjīyuèlěito accumulate over a long period of time日積月累
疲累pílèitired
长年累月chángniánlěiyuèyear in, year out (idiom)長年累月
硕果累累shuòguǒlěilěiheavily laden with fruit碩果累累
德累斯顿déléisīdùnDresden, capital of Saxony 薩克森州|萨克森州[Sà​kè​sēn​zhōu], Germany德累斯頓
连篇累牍liánpiānlěidúverbose連篇累牘
累进lěijìnprogressive (taxation etc)累進
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 累

What does 螺 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 累

You can say '我今天工作很累' (I am very tired from work today).

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