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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)
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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

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

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 累

  1. 1The giveawaySimplified form of 纍; growing silk 糸 in the fields 畾; 畾 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

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

Want the full history of 累? 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 累?

Decomposition of 累

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

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component 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.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

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

Complete the Sentence

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 zǒng shì wéi le zuò dào jìn shàn jìn měi ér léi huài zì jǐ。

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 léi yòu jī” dòng ” shì xíng róng rén hē zuì jiǔ de yī zhǒng wěi wǎn。

"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 cháng tú dà bā biàn yóu gāi guó， ， nǐ kěn dìng léi dé jīng pí lì。

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。

jīng guò nà tàng lǚ chéng zhī hòu， ， nǐ kàn shàng qù zhēn shì léi huài。

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 jī gòu bǎ tā nà fù zá léi zhuì de míng chēng gǎi dé hǎo jì yī xiē 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 kě néng huì yīn wéi láo léi guò dù 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 lì mǔ luó sī léi dé jīng shén dū yǒu xiē huǎng hū le， ， kāi shǐ kū zháo shuō tā è。

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

jīn tiān hěn máng， ， wǒ léi huài。

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 kuáng huān le yī yè hòu， ， tā kàn qǐ lái léi。

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 zhù yì dào le tā“ “ kàn shàng qù xiāo， shòu ， fēi cháng” láo léi ”。

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

Word Family of 累

Compounds15
螺luo2spiral shell, conch; spiral
骡luo2mule
摞luo4to pile up
嫘Lei2surname
樏
漯luo4a river in northern Shandong
瘰luo3scrofula, swellings
磥
缧lei2chains, bonds
蔂
傫
縲
鏍
镙luo2
騾luo2mule
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to involve連累
累累piles of
累赘superfluous累贅
受累to get dragged into
负债累累deep in debt負債累累
累及to involve
累垮to collapse
日积月累to accumulate over a long period of time日積月累
疲累tired
长年累月year in, year out (idiom)長年累月
硕果累累heavily laden with fruit碩果累累
德累斯顿Dresden, capital of Saxony 薩克森州|萨克森州[Sà​kè​sēn​zhōu], Germany德累斯頓
连篇累牍verbose連篇累牘
累进progressive (taxation etc)累進
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

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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