仰赖 (yǎng lài) — to rely on, to depend on

Definition

Formal/literary verb meaning 'to rely on / depend on', used in writing about organizations, projects, or systems rather than daily speech. Stronger and more formal than the everyday 依靠.

verb
to rely onto depend on

Examples

  • 仰赖。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù de chéng gōng wán quán yǎng lài dà jiā de gòng tóng nǔ lì.
    The success of this project depends entirely on everyone's joint efforts.
  • 仰赖，。
    Wǒ men bù néng yì zhí yǎng lài fù mǔ de bāng zhù, yào xué huì dú lì.
    We cannot always rely on our parents' help; we must learn to be independent.
  • 仰赖。
    Gōng sī mù qián de zī jīn zhǔ yào yǎng lài yín háng dài kuǎn.
    The company's current funds mainly rely on bank loans.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

仰yǎngrely
赖làirely

仰 and 赖 both express dependence, so the word means to rely on.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
卬
卬áng仰yǎng
Same sound today

In 仰, the left part 亻 represents a person, and the right part 卬 gives the sound.

Open 仰 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 賴; 赖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
剌
剌là賴lài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賴 uses 貝 (a cowry) for profit and 剌 for the sound; the simplified 赖 is a shorthand.

Open 赖 →

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