惹 meaning and stroke order
To provoke; to irritate; to vex
How to write 惹, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 惹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to provoke
- to irritate
- to vex
- to stir up
- to anger
- to attract (troubles)
How 惹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 若 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 惹
惹 is 若 (ruò) sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). 心 gives the meaning, since provoking someone stirs up their heart, and 若 hints at the sound rě.
惹 means to provoke someone or to bring trouble on yourself, and it usually appears in set words like 惹麻烦 (rě máfan), 惹事 (rěshì) and 招惹 (zhāorě). Example: 别惹他，他今天心情不好。(Bié rě tā, tā jīntiān xīnqíng bù hǎo.) Don't provoke him, he's in a bad mood today.
Common mistake: Learners often read 惹 as ruò because of its top part 若 (ruò). The correct reading is third tone rě. Also, do not drop the 心 at the bottom, or you have written 若 (if, like).
Common words with 惹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 惹麻烦 | rěmáfan | to create difficulties; to be troublesome; to invite trouble | |
| 招惹 | zhāorě | to court (trouble); to attract (attention); to provoke (sb) | |
| 惹火 | rěhuǒ | to stir up the fire; fig. to provoke and offend people | |
| 惹事 | rěshì | to cause trouble | |
| 惹恼 | rěnǎo | to make sb angry | |
| 惹怒 | rěnù | to provoke anger | |
| 不好惹 | bùhǎorě | not to be trifled with; not to be pushed around | |
| 好惹 | hǎorě | accommodating; easy to push around | |
| 惹祸 | rěhuò | to stir up trouble; to invite disaster | |
| 惹人厌 | rěrényàn | annoying; disgusting | |
| 惹是生非 | rěshìshēngfēi | to stir up trouble |
惹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 惹
How many strokes are in 惹?
惹 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 惹 mean?
惹 (rě) means to provoke; to irritate; to vex. A common word with it is 惹麻烦 (rěmáfan), meaning "to create difficulties; to be troublesome; to invite trouble".
How do you pronounce 惹?
惹 is pronounced rě, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 惹?
The radical of 惹 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 惹 under this radical.
Is 惹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 惹 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 不好惹 mean when describing a person?
不好惹 (bù hǎo rě) means someone you should not mess with, a person who will push back if provoked. Its opposite, 好惹 (hǎo rě), describes someone easy to push around, and it often appears in the negative: 我可不是好惹的 (I'm not someone to mess with).
Can 惹 be used for good things, like attracting attention?
Yes. 惹 can mean to draw out a reaction, as in 惹人喜爱 (rě rén xǐ'ài), to be lovable or charming. Still, most common uses involve trouble or anger, so the default feeling is negative.