厉害 (lìhai): awesome

Meanings

1 awesome
2 formidable
3 terrible; severe

Characters

厉

harm (here: neutral suffix)

Examples

HSK 1

你太厉害了！

Nǐ tài lìhai le!

You're awesome!

HSK 3

这次感冒很厉害。

Zhècì gǎnmào hěn lìhai.

This cold is really bad.

HSK 5

这两家公司竞争得非常厉害。

Zhè liǎng jiā gōngsī jìngzhēng de fēicháng lìhai.

These two companies compete fiercely.

Tips

usage

厉害 is one of the most versatile Chinese adjectives. Positive: 你好厉害 (you are amazing!). Negative: 疼得很厉害 (it hurts terribly). Context is everything.

grammar

The second syllable is pronounced with a neutral tone: lì hai, not lì hài.

In Pop Culture

厉害了，我的国！ Lìhai le, wǒ de guó!

Amazing, my country!

2018 documentary title turned internet meme about national pride

Stroke Order

厉 lì

害 hài

Related Words

严厉 yánlì HSK 5 #5,772

severe / strict / harsh

害 hài HSK 5 #1,494

harm; evil / to cause harm; to be afraid

损害 sǔnhài HSK 5 #7,228

to harm; to damage / to impair; to undermine

有害 yǒuhài HSK 5 #9,001

harmful; destructive; detrimental

受害者 shòuhàizhě #1,257

victim / casualty

伤害 shānghài HSK 4 #591

to injure / to harm / to hurt (physically or emotionally)

害怕 hàipà HSK 3 #529

to be afraid; to be scared / to fear; to dread

杀害 shāhài HSK 7-9 #1,815

to murder / to kill (with malicious intent)

受害人 shòuhàirén HSK 7-9 #1,972

victim / injured party

陷害 xiànhài #3,472

to frame (someone) / to set up / to falsely incriminate