腻

膩

nì

月 + 贰

Definitions

nì (adjective) greasy; oily

nì (adjective) overly intimate

nì (adjective) tired of; fed up with

Etymology phono-semantic

flesh

Semantic: ⺼ Phonetic: 贰

About

腻 is a phono-semantic compound: the flesh radical 月 links it to bodily substances, fats, and textures, while the phonetic right side appears as 貳 in traditional 膩 and 贰 in simplified 腻. Its earliest meanings described greasy, oily, or unpleasantly rich textures, particularly of food or skin. Overindulging in rich, oily food quickly leads to satiation and disgust, so the character extended to a psychological state of being tired, bored, or repulsed by something through overexposure. The notion of a sticky, clinging physical texture also gave rise to a secondary sense of overly intimate or clingy interpersonal relationships.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个菜有点腻。

Zhège cài yǒudiǎn nì.

This dish is a bit greasy.

他玩腻了那个游戏。

Tā wán nìle nàgè yóuxì.

He got bored with that game.

油腻的食物对健康不好。

Yóunì de shíwù duì jiànkāng bù hǎo.

Greasy food is not good for health.

她细腻地描述了场景。

Tā xìnì de miáoshùle chǎngjǐng.

She described the scene in detail.

我腻烦了这种重复的工作。

Wǒ nìfánle zhè zhǒng chóngfù de gōngzuò.

I am bored with this repetitive work.

蛋糕太甜了，吃多了会腻。

Dàngāo tài tiánle, chī duōle huì nì.

The cake is too sweet, and eating too much will make you腻.

他对这个话题已经感到腻味了。

Tā duì zhège huàtí yǐjīng gǎndào nìwèile.

He has already felt bored with this topic.

长期面对单调的生活，让人心生腻烦。

Chángqī miànduì dāndiào de shēnghuó, ràng rén xīnshēng nìfán.

Facing a monotonous life for a long time makes people feel bored.

Related Characters

Component: 月

腻