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惹 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
惹rěto provokeHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
惹rěto irritateHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
惹rěto vexHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
惹rěto stir upHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
惹rěto angerHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
惹rěto attract (troubles)HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
惹rěto cause (problems)HSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
惹rěto incite, to irritate, to offend, to vexHSK 7, v, 12 strokes, radical 心, rank #1377, Hard
rě(re3) T3
  1. 1to provoke
  2. 2to irritate
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March 24, 2026
惹rě(re3)

The character 惹 (rě) means to provoke or irritate someone. It is commonly used in contexts where someone's actions or words have stirred up trouble or caused annoyance. This term can also imply attracting problems or inciting negative reactions from others.

Strokes12Radical心Frequency#1377DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, causing someone to feel '惹怒' (rě nù, provoked anger) can lead to significant social consequences, such as loss of face or strained relationships, emphasizing the importance of harmony.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small child (the character's left side resembles a child) poking a sleeping bear (the right side resembles the action of stirring). This child is trying to 'provoke' the bear, which represents the meaning of 惹. The pronunciation 'rě' sounds like 'rare', as in rare situations that provoke significant reactions.

Meanings of 惹

rě(re3)
1to provoke
2to irritate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 惹

惹Simplified
12Strokes
心Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1377Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 惹

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Podcast: 惹

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AI Study Notes for 惹

Quick Contrast

惹 (rě) vs 激 (jī) — use 惹 when implying annoyance or irritation caused to someone, while 激 conveys a sense of excitement or intensity.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a small child (the character's left side resembles a child) poking a sleeping bear (the right side resembles the action of stirring). This child is trying to 'provoke' the bear, which represents the meaning of 惹. The pronunciation 'rě' sounds like 'rare', as in rare situations that provoke significant reactions.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 惹 with similar verbs like 激 (jī, to excite) or 引 (yǐn, to draw). It is more informal and often used in spoken language. Pay attention to the context: 惹 is typically used when discussing irritation rather than serious conflict.

HSK Study Tips

Although 惹 is not in the HSK lists, understanding it can help learners with verbs related to emotions and reactions. Focus on recognizing it in conversational contexts, and practice using it in sentences describing personal experiences of irritation.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, causing someone to feel '惹怒' (rě nù, provoked anger) can lead to significant social consequences, such as loss of face or strained relationships, emphasizing the importance of harmony.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes use 惹 to imply 'to attract' in a neutral sense, which is incorrect. For example, saying '她惹了很多朋友' (Tā rěle hěnduō péngyǒu) is wrong; instead, use '她吸引了很多朋友' (Tā xīyǐnle hěnduō péngyǒu) which means 'She attracted many friends.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 惹

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Etymology of 惹

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

Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 若 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)心
+
Phonetic (sound)若
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 惹?

Decomposition of 惹

IDS Structure⿱若心
惹Full Character
=
若ruo4
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 惹?

Write 惹

惹

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

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Grammar Patterns of 惹

惹 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

你怎么把气撒到我头上来了？我又没____你。

Why are you taking your anger out on me? I did not provoke you.

Example Sentences for 惹 (10)

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1
他被惹得情绪非常激动，这很少见。

tā bèi rě dé qíng xù fēi cháng jī dòng， ， zhè hěn shǎo。

He was prompted to a rare outburst of feeling.
2
这是我所见过的最惹人喜爱的花园。

zhè shì wǒ suǒ jiàn guò de zuì rě rén xǐ ài de huā yuán。

It was the most delightful garden I had ever seen.
3
其中一位家长极为惹人厌，没人喜欢他。

qí zhōng yī wèi jiā cháng jí wéi rě rén yàn， ， méi rén xǐ huān。

One of the parents was a most obnoxious character. No-one liked him.
4
我意识到英国人如果对爱尔兰问题加以泛化的话会招惹麻烦。

wǒ yì shí dào yīng guó rén rú guǒ duì ài ěr lán wèn tí jiā yǐ fàn huà de huà huì zhāo rě má fán。

I realise that an Englishman who generalises about Ireland invites trouble.
5
那张咖啡桌是玻璃的，为的是尽量不惹眼。

nà zhāng kā fēi zhuō shì bō lí de， ， wéi de shì jìn liáng bù rě。

The coffee-table is glass, to be as unobtrusive as possible.
6
科斯特洛后来表示了歉意，说他是被那人惹怒的。

kē sī tè luò hòu lái biǎo shì le qiàn yì， ， shuō tā shì bèi nà rén rě nù。

Costello later apologized, saying he'd been annoyed by the man.
7
你特立独行的行事方式可能会给自己惹来麻烦。

nǐ tè lì dú háng de háng shì fāng shì kě néng huì gěi zì jǐ rě lái má fán。

Your non-conformist ways will probably get you into trouble.
8
让守法的人持有枪械并不会惹麻烦。

ràng shǒu fǎ de rén chí yǒu qiāng xiè bìng bù huì rě má fán。

Gun ownership by law-abiding people was not a problem.
9
也许我不该讲那些话——我可能会惹来麻烦。

yě xǔ wǒ bù gāi jiǎng nà xiē huà—— —— wǒ kě néng huì rě lái má。

Perhaps I shouldn't say that — I might get into trouble.
10
“瞧，又来了不是？又惹孩子伤心！”雪莉说。

“ “， qiáo ， yòu lái le？ bù shì ？ yòu rě hái！” zǐ shāng xīn。

"There you go again, upsetting the child!" said Shirley.

Cultural Notes for 惹

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, causing someone to feel '惹怒' (rě nù, provoked anger) can lead to significant social consequences, such as loss of face or strained relationships, emphasizing the importance of harmony.

Word Family of 惹

Words Containing This Character20
惹rěto provoke
惹麻烦to create difficulties惹麻煩
招惹to provoke
惹火to stir up the fire
惹人to offend
惹事to cause trouble
惹恼to offend惹惱
惹不起can't afford to offend
惹祸rěhuòto stir up trouble惹禍
不好惹not to be trifled with
好惹accommodating
惹是生非to stir up trouble
拈花惹草fig. to womanize
惹事生非to stir up trouble
日惹Yogyakarta, city of Java, Indonesia, and capital of the Special Region of Yogyakarta 日惹特區|日惹特区[Rì​yě​Tè​qū]
沾花惹草to womanize
惹人厌annoying惹人厭
惹是非to stir up trouble
易激惹irritable
惹火烧身fig. to suffer on account of one's own meddling惹火燒身
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 惹 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 惹

No, 惹 is primarily negative, indicating irritation or provocation.