Learn a Chinese Character - 赖

1. Character Basics

Radical: 贝 (shell/wealth radical)

Stroke Count: 13

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lài (Fourth tone)

3. Meaning

To rely on; to depend on; to trust; to count on; to attribute to; to blame on; to shirk responsibility; to赖账 (default on a debt); to赖皮 (act shamelessly); to赖着不走 (refuse to leave)

4. Common Words

• 依赖 (yīlài) - to rely on; to depend on; dependence
• 信赖 (xìnlài) - to trust; to have faith in; trust
• 耍赖 (shuālài) - to act shamelessly; to be unreasonable; to renege on a promise
• 赖皮 (làipí) - shameless; rascally; to act shamelessly
• 赖账 (làizhàng) - to default on a debt; to refuse to pay what is due
• 不赖 (bùlài) - not bad; pretty good
• 百无聊赖 (bǎiwúliáolài) - bored to death; utterly bored; having nothing to do
• 死皮赖脸 (sǐpílàiliǎn) - thick-skinned; shameless; to pester shamelessly

5. Grammar & Usage

The character "赖" can be used as a verb with several different meanings, including "to rely on," "to depend on," "to attribute to," and "to shirk responsibility." It is often combined with other characters to form compound verbs.

Grammar Patterns:

• 依+赖: 依赖 (to rely on; to depend on)
• 信+赖: 信赖 (to trust; to have faith in)
• 耍+赖: 耍赖 (to act shamelessly; to be unreasonable)
• 赖+皮: 赖皮 (shameless; rascally)
• 赖+账: 赖账 (to default on a debt)
• 不+赖: 不赖 (not bad; pretty good)
• 百无聊+赖: 百无聊赖 (bored to death; utterly bored)
• 死皮赖+脸: 死皮赖脸 (thick-skinned; shameless)

The character can also be used in idiomatic expressions that convey a sense of reliance, trust, or lack thereof.

6. Cultural Background

The character "赖" has evolved in meaning over time. Originally associated with concepts of dependence and trust, it has also taken on negative connotations related to shirking responsibility or acting shamelessly in certain contexts.

In Chinese culture, the virtue of reliability and trustworthiness is highly valued, and the character "赖" is often used in contexts that relate to these qualities. For example, 信赖 (xìnlài, trust) is an important aspect of interpersonal relationships and social harmony.

Conversely, behaviors such as 赖账 (làizhàng, defaulting on a debt) or 耍赖 (shuālài, acting shamelessly) are generally frowned upon in Chinese society, as they violate the principles of honesty and responsibility.

The character's structure, with the 贝 (shell/wealth) radical, reflects its original association with economic transactions and trust in financial matters, as shells were used as currency in ancient China.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character "赖" (lài) consists of several parts:

• The radical "贝" (bèi, shell/wealth) at the bottom, which indicates its connection to economic or valuable things
• The components "束" (shù) and "负" (fù) above, which contribute to its structure and meaning

To remember the character, think of it as "a person who is relying on (束) wealth (贝) and may have negative connotations (负)".

Visualize someone who is depending on others or refusing to take responsibility, which helps connect the character's appearance to its various meanings.

Associate the character with common words like "依赖" (yīlài, to rely on) and "信赖" (xìnlài, to trust), which reinforce its core meaning related to dependence and trust.

Remember that the radical "贝" is always at the bottom of the character, which helps with proper stroke order when writing it.

Break down the character into its components and practice writing it to reinforce your memory of its structure and stroke count.

Note that the character has both positive (trust, reliance) and negative (shirking responsibility, acting shamelessly) connotations, so it's important to consider the context in which it is used.