懦弱

nuòruò
adjective #9,341

Meanings

  1. 1 cowardly; weak; spineless

Examples

HSK 3
Nuòruò de rén hěn nán chénggōng.
Cowardly people have a hard time succeeding.
HSK 4
Bié zhème nuòruò, yǒnggǎn miànduì ba!
Don't be so spineless, face it bravely!
HSK 6
Tā xìnggé nuòruò, bù gǎn fǎnkàng.
He has a cowardly personality and doesn't dare resist.

Tips

mistakes
懦弱 describes a deeply ingrained personality trait - chronic timidity. For situational fear, use 害怕 (scared) or 胆小 (timid). 懦弱 is harsher and more judgmental.
memory
Both characters share the 'heart' radical (/), because cowardice is a matter of the heart. = weak-hearted, = weak.

Stroke Order

nuò
ruò