Meaning of 依赖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to depend on; to be dependent on
How to use 依赖
依赖 often has a negative or neutral feel, describing over-dependence on a person, habit, or thing. It can take an object directly or appear as 对……的依赖 (dependence on). Example: 他太依赖父母了。(Tā tài yīlài fùmǔ le.) He depends too much on his parents.
依 (yī) has the person radical 亻 next to 衣 (clothing), so picture a person clinging to someone's clothes. 赖 (lài) contains 贝 (shell, money), so think of someone leaning on others for money and support.
Common mistake: Learners use 依赖 when they just mean positive reliance, like trusting a friend in hard times. In that case 依靠 (yīkào) usually sounds more natural, while 依赖 hints at being unable to manage alone.
依赖 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
依 yī · to depend on · 8 strokes
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赖 lài · to depend on · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 依赖.
| 依然 | yīrán | still; as before |
| 依靠 | yīkào | to rely on; to depend on |
| 依旧 | yījiù | as before; still; to remain the same |
| 依据 | yījù | according to; basis |
| 依照 | yīzhào | according to; in light of |
| 依法 | yīfǎ | legal (proceedings); according to law |
| 依次 | yīcì | in order; in succession |
| 信赖 | xìnlài | to trust; to have confidence in |
| 相依为命 | xiāngyī-wéimìng | mutually dependent for life (idiom); to rely upon one another for survival; interdependent |
| 耍赖 | shuǎlài | to act shamelessly; to refuse to acknowledge that one has lost the game, or made a promise |
| 依托 | yītuō | to rely on; to depend on |
| 依依不舍 | yīyī-bùshě | reluctant to part (idiom); broken-hearted at having to leave |
Questions about 依赖
What does 依赖 mean?
依赖 (yīlài) means "to depend on; to be dependent on" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 依赖?
依赖 is made of 2 characters: 依 (8 strokes), 赖 (13 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 依赖 an HSK word?
Yes. 依赖 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 依赖 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 依赖 is written 依賴.
Can 依赖 be used as a noun?
Yes. It often works as a noun meaning dependence, as in 减少对手机的依赖 (jiǎnshǎo duì shǒujī de yīlài), to reduce dependence on phones. You will also see 依赖性 (yīlàixìng), meaning dependency.
Does 赖 in 依赖 have other meanings?
On its own, 赖 (lài) can mean to rely on, to blame someone falsely, or to refuse to leave, as in 赖床 (làichuáng), to stay in bed. In 依赖 it keeps the meaning of relying on something.