衰弱 (shuāi ruò) — weak, feeble

Definition

衰弱 (shuāiruò) means 'debilitated' — a strong, often medical decline of strength or function (body, eyesight, economy). Heavier and more serious than 虚弱 (general frailty) or 微弱 (faint).

adjective
weakfeeble

Examples

  • 衰弱。
    Guò dù láo lèi huì ràng shēn tǐ yuè lái yuè shuāi ruò.
    Overwork will make the body weaker and weaker.
  • 衰弱。
    Tā de shì lì zài jǐ nián nèi míng xiǎn shuāi ruò le.
    His eyesight has noticeably weakened within a few years.
  • 衰弱。
    Cháng qī de fǔ bài dǎo zhì guó jiā jīng jì shuāi ruò.
    Long-term corruption led to the weakening of the national economy.

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.

衰shuāiweak
弱ruòweak

衰 and 弱 both express weakness, so together they mean feeble or weak.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old form of 衰 pictures a palm-fiber raincoat, a garment later written with another character.

Open 衰 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 弓弓gōngbow
  • 彡彡shānhair, meaning "decoration" in this case

弱 pairs 弓 (bow) with 彡 (hair), showing a decorative bow that is functionally inferior, or a shaking, worn-out bow.

Open 弱 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Illness & Symptoms

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