Definitions

āi (adverb) in order; in sequence; close to; adjacent to
ái (verb) to suffer; to endure
ái (verb) to delay; to stall; to dawdle

Etymology phono-semantic

hand

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 挨, constructed from the hand radical 扌 combined with the phonetic element 矣, initially conveyed physical actions of pushing from behind or leaning closely against an object. Its meaning gradually extended from these tactile interactions to include the experience of enduring hardship or suffering, as evident in terms such as 挨打, meaning to receive blows, or 挨饿, indicating starvation. This semantic expansion also incorporated the idea of delaying or passing time unwillingly, as in the phrase 挨时间. The evolution from denoting direct physical contact to representing metaphorical endurance illustrates a broader linguistic tendency where characters acquire abstract connotations from their concrete origins.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

着妈妈坐。

Wǒ āi zhe māma zuò.

I sit next to mom.

小狗着猫睡觉。

Xiǎo gǒu āi zhe māo shuìjiào.

The puppy sleeps next to the cat.

他今天饿了。

Tā jīntiān ái è le.

He is hungry today.

我不想骂。

Wǒ bù xiǎng ái mà.

I don't want to be scolded.

因为迟到,他批评了。

Yīnwèi chídào, tā ái pīpíng le.

Because he was late, he was criticized.

在战场上,士兵们饿受冻。

Zài zhànchǎng shàng, shìbīng men ái è shòu dòng.

On the battlefield, the soldiers suffer from hunger and cold.

如果你不努力,就会打。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù nǔlì, jiù huì ái dǎ.

If you don't work hard, you will be beaten.

尽管了许多苦,他仍然坚持学习。

Jǐnguǎn ái le xǔduō kǔ, tā réngrán jiānchí xuéxí.

Although he suffered many hardships, he still persisted in studying.