厉害 meaning in English
(used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible; intense; severe; devastating; amazing; awesome; outstanding; (of a person) stern; strict; harsh; shrewd; tough
Meaning of 厉害
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible; intense; severe; devastating; amazing; awesome; outstanding
- (of a person) stern; strict; harsh; shrewd; tough
- (of an animal) fierce
- (of a resemblance) striking
- (of liquor or chili pepper) strong
- (of bacteria) virulent
How to use 厉害
In everyday speech 厉害 is most often praise for skill, like saying awesome or impressive. It can also describe pain, illness, or bad weather that is severe, and it often follows 得 to show degree. Example: 你太厉害了。(Nǐ tài lìhai le.) You're amazing.
厉 (lì) means harsh or severe, as in 严厉 (yánlì), and 害 (hài) means harm, as in 伤害 (shānghài). Something so harsh it could do harm leaves a strong impression, which is why 厉害 can mean both terrible and amazing.
Common mistake: Learners often say 害 with its full fourth tone. In 厉害 it is usually neutral, so say lìhai, not lìhài. Also, 疼得厉害 (téng de lìhai) means it hurts badly, so do not read every 厉害 as praise.
厉害 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.
厉 lì · whetstone · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
害 hài · to do harm to · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 厉害.
| 害怕 | hàipà | to be afraid; to be scared |
| 危害 | wēihài | to harm; to jeopardize; to endanger; harmful effect; damage |
| 伤害 | shānghài | to injure; to harm |
| 严厉 | yánlì | severe; strict |
| 损害 | sǔnhài | harm; to damage |
| 有害 | yǒu hài | destructive; harmful |
| 灾害 | zāihài | calamity; disaster |
| 杀害 | shāhài | to murder |
| 害羞 | hàixiū | shy; embarrassed |
| 受害人 | shòuhàirén | victim |
| 迫害 | pòhài | to persecute |
| 要害 | yàohài | vital part; (fig.) key point |
Questions about 厉害
What does 厉害 mean?
厉害 (lìhai) means "(used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible; intense; severe; devastating; amazing; awesome; outstanding; (of a person) stern; strict; harsh; shrewd; tough" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 厉害?
厉害 is made of 2 characters: 厉 (5 strokes), 害 (10 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 厉害 an HSK word?
Yes. 厉害 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 厉害 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 厉害 is written 厲害.
How do I know if 厉害 is positive or negative?
Context decides. Said about a person's ability, it is praise. Said about pain, coughing, rain, or someone's temper, it means severe or fierce.
What does 厉害了 mean in internet slang?
厉害了 or 厉害了我的哥 is a playful way to say wow, impressive. It can be sincere or slightly teasing, depending on tone.