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厉害 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
厉害
lìhai
difficult to deal with
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
difficult to endure
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
ferocious
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
radical
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
serious
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
terrible
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
violent
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
tremendous
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
厉害
lìhai
awesome
HSK 4, a, 15 strokes, rank #1156, Medium
lìhai(li4hai5)li hai T4
1difficult to deal with
2difficult to endure
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March 24, 2026
厉害(厲害)lìhai(li4hai5)
厉害 (lìhài) describes something that is formidable or impressive, often used to express admiration or concern about someone's skills or a situation's severity. It can refer to people, situations, or even things that are intense, difficult to handle, or cause strong reactions.
Strokes15Frequency#1156DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, being described as 厉害 often carries a sense of respect and admiration for someone's abilities, especially in academic or professional contexts. It reflects the cultural value placed on excellence and competence.
Memory tip
Imagine a fierce tiger (猛虎) that is both awesome and terrifying, symbolizing the dual nature of 厉害 - it can mean something impressive or something hard to deal with. The character 厉 (lì) looks like a strong, threatening figure, while 害 (hài) suggests harm, which helps you remember its intensity.
Meanings of 厉害
lìhai(li4hai5)
1difficult to deal with
2difficult to endure
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 厉害 means.
About 厉害
厉害Simplified
厲害Traditional
15Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#1156Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 厉害
Podcast: 厉害
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AI study notes for 厉害
Quick Contrast
厉害 (lìhài) vs 棒 (bàng) — use 厉害 for severity or intensity, while 棒 emphasizes excellence or skill.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 厉害 with other words like 可怕 (kěpà, scary) or 严重 (yánzhòng, serious). While 厉害 can be positive or negative, using it in a negative context can sound harsh; consider the tone and context. Common collocations include 厉害的老师 (lìhài de lǎoshī, impressive teacher) and 厉害的竞争 (lìhài de jìngzhēng, fierce competition).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 4 word, 厉害 connects well with other adjectives that describe intensity or severity, enhancing students' ability to express strong opinions. Focus on using it in sentences to describe skills or challenging situations to solidify understanding.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misuse 厉害 when they mean to say 'bad' or 'awful'; for instance, saying '这部电影很厉害' (This movie is very厉害) when they mean it was terrible. Instead, they should say '这部电影很糟糕' (This movie is terrible).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 厉害
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Knowing 厉害 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
厉害 (lìhài) describes something that is formidable or impressive, often used to express admiration or concern about someone's skills or a situation's severity. It can refer to people, situations, or even things that are intense, difficult to handle, or cause strong reactions.
When to use 厉害
Be careful not to confuse 厉害 with other words like 可怕 (kěpà, scary) or 严重 (yánzhòng, serious). While 厉害 can be positive or negative, using it in a negative context can sound harsh; consider the tone and context. Common collocations include 厉害的老师 (lìhài de lǎoshī, impressive teacher) and 厉害的竞争 (lìhài de jìngzhēng, fierce competition).
厉害 or something close to it
厉害 (lìhài) vs 棒 (bàng) — use 厉害 for severity or intensity, while 棒 emphasizes excellence or skill.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 厉害 when they mean to say 'bad' or 'awful'; for instance, saying '这部电影很厉害' (This movie is very厉害) when they mean it was terrible. Instead, they should say '这部电影很糟糕' (This movie is terrible).
Write 厉害
厉
害
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Grammar patterns of 厉害
厉害 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 9 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 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
那棵树倾斜得非常____。
The tree was leaning at a low angle from the ground.
Example sentences for 厉害 (10)
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1
那棵树倾斜得非常厉害。
nà kē shù qīngxié de fēicháng lìhai。
The tree was leaning at a low angle from the ground.
2
他病得厉害，不能赶到他儿子身边了。
tā bìng de lìhai， bù néng gǎndào tā érzi shēnbiān le。
He was too sick to travel to his son's side.
3
我的眼睛肿得很厉害，几乎看不到东西。
wǒ de yǎnjing zhǒng de hěn lìhai， jīhū kàn bù dào dōngxi。
My eyes were so swollen I could hardly see.
4
直升机在恢复平稳之前倾斜得很厉害。
zhíshēngjī zài huīfù píngwěn zhīqián qīngxié de hěn lìhai。
The helicopter turned at an awful angle before righting itself.
5
他醉得太厉害，连话都说不出来了。
tā zuì de tài lìhai， lián huà dōu shuō bù chūlái le。
He was so drunk that he had lost the power of speech.
6
你抖得很厉害,格雷西.
nǐ dǒu de hěn lìhai, gé léi xī.
You're shivering fit to die, Gracie.
7
帕特里夏·海史密斯那本书是谁改编成剧本的？雷蒙德·钱德勒呀，厉害。
pà tè lǐ xià· hǎi Shǐ mì Sī nà běn shū shì shéi gǎibiān chéng jùběn de？ léi mēng dé· qián dé lè yā， lìhai。
Who wrote the screenplay from Patricia Highsmith's book? Raymond Chandler, no less.
