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癮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
癮yǐnrash; addiction, craving, habitzg, 21 strokes, radical 疒, rank #76825, Very Hard
yǐn(yin3) T3
  1. 1rash; addiction, craving, habit
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

癮yǐn(yin3)

The character 癮 (yǐn) refers to an addiction or a strong craving for something, often used in the context of habits that are hard to break, such as substance abuse or compulsive behaviors. It can also describe a strong desire or passion for activities like gambling or gaming, emphasizing the psychological dependency involved.

Strokes21Radical疒Frequency#76825DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In modern Chinese society, there is growing awareness of issues like internet addiction and gaming addiction, making 癮 particularly relevant in discussions about youth and technology. This reflects broader concerns about mental health in daily life.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person who is so addicted to their smartphone that it feels like a 'rash' (the meaning of the first component) has formed on their skin from constant use. The character 癮 can be remembered as someone 'yearning' (the sound 'yǐn' is close to the English 'yearn') for their phone, illustrating both the craving and the compulsive nature of addiction.

Meanings of 癮

yǐn(yin3)
1rash; addiction, craving, habit
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 癮

癮Simplified
21Strokes
疒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 癮

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Podcast: 癮

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AI Study Notes for 癮

Quick Contrast

瘾 (yǐn) vs 爱好 (àihào) — use 癮 (yǐn) when referring to a compulsive addiction rather than a mere hobby or interest.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 癮 with similar-sounding characters like 引 (yǐn), which means 'to lead or attract.' Remember that 癮 specifically relates to addiction and craving, so use it in contexts discussing habits or dependencies. This term is generally informal but can be used in serious discussions about health or behavior.

HSK Study Tips

Although 癮 is not in the HSK levels, it connects with other words about habits or behaviors, like 习惯 (xíguàn, 'habit') and 成瘾 (chéng yǐn, 'become addicted'). Focus on building vocabulary around addiction and health to understand its nuances better.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 癮 with 影 (yǐng, 'shadow') due to similar sounds. Ensure that you are using 癮 specifically for describing cravings or addictions. For instance, saying '我有影对巧克力' (Wǒ yǒu yǐng duì qiǎokèlì) is incorrect; it should be '我对巧克力有癮' (Wǒ duì qiǎokèlì yǒu yǐn).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 癮

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Etymology of 癮

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

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 隐 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癮.

Memory Hint

sickness

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 癮

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 隐 represents the sound. Simplified form of 癮.

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half隱 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 癮? 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 癮?

Decomposition of 癮

IDS Structure⿸疒隱
癮Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
隱yin3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 癮?

How to say rash; addiction, craving, habit in Chinese

“rash; addiction, craving, habit” in Chinese is癮yǐn

The character 癮 (yǐn) refers to an addiction or a strong craving for something, often used in the context of habits that are hard to break, such as substance abuse or compulsive behaviors. It can also describe a strong desire or passion for activities like gambling or gaming, emphasizing the psychological dependency involved.

When to use 癮

Common mistakes include confusing 癮 with similar-sounding characters like 引 (yǐn), which means 'to lead or attract.' Remember that 癮 specifically relates to addiction and craving, so use it in contexts discussing habits or dependencies. This term is generally informal but can be used in serious discussions about health or behavior.

癮 or something close to it

瘾 (yǐn) vs 爱好 (àihào) — use 癮 (yǐn) when referring to a compulsive addiction rather than a mere hobby or interest.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 癮 with 影 (yǐng, 'shadow') due to similar sounds. Ensure that you are using 癮 specifically for describing cravings or addictions. For instance, saying '我有影对巧克力' (Wǒ yǒu yǐng duì qiǎokèlì) is incorrect; it should be '我对巧克力有癮' (Wǒ duì qiǎokèlì yǒu yǐn).

Write 癮

癮

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

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Word Family of 癮

Words Containing This Character7
瘾yǐnaddiction癮
上瘾shàngyǐnto get into a habit上癮
过瘾guòyǐngratifying過癮
瘾君子opium eater癮君子
毒瘾drug addiction毒癮
烟瘾the urge to smoke煙癮
瘾头craving癮頭
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 瘾 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 癮

You can say '我对咖啡有癮' (Wǒ duì kāfēi yǒu yǐn), meaning 'I have a craving for coffee.'

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