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半死

bànsǐ
adverb #9,497

Meanings

  1. 1 half dead; nearly dead
  2. 2 extremely; to death (used as a complement for emphasis)

Examples

他累得半死。
Tā lèi de bànsǐ.
He was dead tired.
这件事把我气得半死。
Zhè jiàn shì bǎ wǒ qì de bànsǐ.
This matter made me furious.
她被吓得半死。
Tā bèi xià de bànsǐ.
She was scared half to death.

Tips

grammar
半死 is used as a complement after 得 to intensify adjectives/verbs: 累得半死 (exhausted), 气得半死 (furious), 吓得半死 (terrified). It's colloquial and emphatic.
usage
Similar to the English 'to death' or 'half dead' — always an exaggeration, never literal in modern usage.

Stroke Order

半 bàn
死 sǐ