累

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 累 (lèi) is composed of two parts: the radical 糸 (mì) and the phonetic component 兑 (duì). The radical 糸 represents silk threads, while the phonetic component 兑 represents a container for wine. Together, these two components suggest the idea of something that is tangled or complicated, which is the meaning of the character 累.The character 累 has a long history, dating back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). In its earliest form, the character was written as 纍, with the radical 糸 on the left and the phonetic component 兌 on the right. Over time, the character simplified to its current form, with the phonetic component 兑 being replaced by the similar-looking character 兑.The character 累 has a variety of meanings, including "tired," "exhausted," "burdened," and "entangled." It can also be used as a verb, meaning "to tire" or "to exhaust." In addition, the character 累 is often used in Chinese idioms and proverbs, such as "积劳成累" (jī láo chéng lěi), which means "accumulated labor leads to exhaustion."Overall, the character 累 is a complex and versatile character with a rich history and a variety of meanings. It is an important character for HSK learners to master, as it is used frequently in both written and spoken Chinese.