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

Tā lèi de bànsǐ.
He was dead tired.
Zhè jiàn shì bǎ wǒ qì de bànsǐ.
This matter made me furious.
Tā bèi xià de bànsǐ.
She was scared half to death.

Tips

grammar
半死 is used as a complement after to intensify adjectives/verbs: 半死 (exhausted), 半死 (furious), 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

bàn