HSK · Level 45
120 words
Chinese word
赖
Pronunciation
Pinyinlài
Meaning
- verbrely on
Example
不要赖别人，你要自己努力。bú yào lài bié rén nǐ yào zì jǐ nǔ lì
Don't rely on others; you need to work hard on your own.
More examples
国家不能长期赖于外部援助。guó jiā bù néng cháng qī lài yú wài bù yuán zhù
The country cannot depend on external aid for long.
Core concept
A person places weight, hope, or responsibility on someone else instead of carrying it alone.
Common phrases
依赖于yī lài yú
depend on
赖以lài yǐ
rely on
Similar words
依靠yī kào: Using a person or thing as a source of help, support, or useful benefits.
依赖yī lài: Continuing to depend on someone or something instead of developing independence.
靠kào: Getting support by relying on the strength or help of a person or thing.
推卸tuī xiè: Passing work or responsibility to another person to escape one's own duty.
Definition in Chinese
依靠别人或事物来获得帮助、支持或便利，也可以把希望或责任寄托在对方身上yī kào bié rén huò shì wù lái huò dé bāng zhù zhī chí huò biàn lì yě ké yǐ bǎ xī wàng huò zé rèn jì tuō zài duì fāng shēn shàng
Word origin
The simplified form 赖 (lài, "rely") preserves the traditional character 賴 (lài, "rely"), whose form combines 貝 (bèi, "shell") with the sound-bearing element 剌 (là, "sound marker").
Usage tips
- A sentence about another person's effort can make the verb sound like blame, so it often appears when someone is accused of avoiding independent effort rather than when help is requested politely.