Chinese word

瘾

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǐn

Meaning

  • nounaddiction

Example

这部电视剧让我上瘾，每天都要看一集。zhè bù diàn shì jù ràng wǒ shàng yǐn měi tiān dōu yào kàn yì jí

This TV series has me hooked, and I have to watch one episode every day.

Illustration for 瘾 (addiction)

More examples

他的网瘾越来越严重，学习受到了影响。tā de wáng yǐn yuè lái yuè yán zhòng xué xí shòu dào le yíng xiǎng

His internet addiction is getting worse, and his studies have been affected.

Core concept

A loop in which desire draws a person back to an activity or substance, even when stopping is difficult.

Common phrases

  • 网瘾wáng yǐn

    internet addiction

  • 毒瘾dú yǐn

    drug addiction

  • 烟瘾yān yǐn

    smoking addiction

Similar words

依赖yī lài: A state of relying on someone or something because personal effort is not enough.
习惯xí guàn: A familiar way of acting that repetition makes almost automatic.

Definition in Chinese

指一种反复出现且难以戒除的强烈欲望或依赖状态，既可指对行为的沉迷，也可指对物质的成瘾。zhǐ yì zhǒng fǎn fù chū xiàn qiě nán yǐ jiè chú de qiáng liè yù wàng huò yī lài zhuàng tài jì kě zhǐ duì xíng wéi de chén mí yě kě zhǐ duì wù zhì dì chéng yǐn

Word origin

The character 瘾 (yǐn, "addiction") combines 疒 (nè, "illness") as a meaning component with 隐 (yǐn, "hidden") as a sound component, linking the word to a persistent unhealthy attachment.

Usage tips

  • English speakers sometimes use addiction loosely for a favorite show or hobby; in Chinese, the same word can sound casual in that setting but remains serious when the object is a substance.

Other meanings

  • dependencenoun

Opposites

  • 自控力zì kòng lìself-controlnoun
  • 自律zì lǜself-disciplinenoun

Related words

  • 网瘾wáng yǐninternet addictionnoun
  • 毒瘾dú yǐndrug addictionnoun
  • 烟瘾yān yǐnsmoking addictionnoun

Word lists with this word