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痿 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
痿wěiparalysis; impotencezg, 13 strokes, radical 疒, rank #37941, Very Hard
痿wěiatrophyunknown, 13 strokes, radical 疒, rank #37941, Very Hard
wěi(wei3) T3
  1. 1paralysis; impotence
  2. 2atrophy
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

痿wěi(wei3)

The character 痿 (wěi) primarily refers to paralysis, impotence, or atrophy, particularly in a medical context. It describes a condition where there is a loss of strength or function, often related to nerves or muscles. This term is commonly used in discussions about health, especially in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Strokes13Radical疒Frequency#37941DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the concept of 'weakness' or 'impotence' is often associated with imbalances in the body's energy (Qi), reflecting a holistic approach to health that is prevalent in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a weak, withered plant (the 'w' in 'wěi' sounds like 'weak') that has lost its vitality due to lack of care. The radical '疒' (illness) suggests that this condition is related to health issues, reinforcing the meaning of paralysis or impotence.

Meanings of 痿

wěi(wei3)
1paralysis; impotence
2atrophy
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 痿

痿Simplified
13Strokes
疒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 痿

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Podcast: 痿

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AI Study Notes for 痿

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 痿 (wěi) with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings, such as 委 (wěi), which means to entrust. This character is used in more formal contexts, particularly in medical discussions, so it may not be appropriate for casual conversation.

HSK Study Tips

While 痿 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance comprehension of medical terms in Chinese. Students at this level should focus on recognizing the radical '疒' to identify related health terms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 痿 with similar characters like 委 (wěi) or 胃 (wèi), leading to incorrect usage in sentences. For example, saying '我有痿' (wǒ yǒu wěi) to mean 'I have weakness' can be misleading; it should specify the context, such as '我有肌肉痿' (wǒ yǒu jīròu wěi) for 'I have muscle atrophy.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 痿

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Etymology of 痿

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 委 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
Phonetic (sound)委
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 痿

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 委 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half委 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysickness
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 痿? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 痿?

Decomposition of 痿

IDS Structure⿸疒委
痿Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
委wei1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 痿?

How to say paralysis; impotence in Chinese

“paralysis; impotence” in Chinese is痿wěi

The character 痿 (wěi) primarily refers to paralysis, impotence, or atrophy, particularly in a medical context. It describes a condition where there is a loss of strength or function, often related to nerves or muscles. This term is commonly used in discussions about health, especially in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

When to use 痿

Be careful not to confuse 痿 (wěi) with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings, such as 委 (wěi), which means to entrust. This character is used in more formal contexts, particularly in medical discussions, so it may not be appropriate for casual conversation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 痿 with similar characters like 委 (wěi) or 胃 (wèi), leading to incorrect usage in sentences. For example, saying '我有痿' (wǒ yǒu wěi) to mean 'I have weakness' can be misleading; it should specify the context, such as '我有肌肉痿' (wǒ yǒu jīròu wěi) for 'I have muscle atrophy.'

Write 痿

痿

Practice writing 痿 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 痿

Words Containing This Character2
阳痿(med.) impotence陽痿
痿wěiatrophy
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 阳痿 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 痿

You might encounter phrases like '肢体痿弱' (zhītǐ wěiruò), meaning 'limb weakness'.

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