馁

餒
něi
妥 + 饣

Definitions

něi (bound form) hungry; starving; (bound form) dispirited; (literary) (of fish) putrid

Etymology phono-semantic

food

Semantic: 饣 Phonetic: 妥

About

The character 馁 is a phono-semantic compound whose meanings range from physical deprivation to emotional discouragement. Its semantic component is the food radical 饣 (written 食 in the traditional form 餒), linking it to sustenance. The right side is 妥 (tuǒ), which ordinarily means 'appropriate' or 'secure' but here serves only as a phonetic guide. Etymologically, the character first described extreme hunger or starvation. That sense of physical emptiness then broadened metaphorically, and today 馁 primarily conveys being disheartened or losing courage in the face of failure.

Example Sentences Hide

他感到气馁了。

Tā gǎndào qìněi le.

He felt discouraged.

失败后他有些气馁。

Shībài hòu tā yǒuxiē qìněi.

After failing, he was somewhat discouraged.

面对困难，我们决不能气馁。

Miànduì kùnnán, wǒmen jué bù néng qìněi.

Facing difficulties, we must not be discouraged.

尽管遇到了挫折，但他没有气馁。

Jǐnguǎn yù dào le cuòzhé, dàn tā méiyǒu qìněi.

Although he encountered setbacks, he did not lose heart.

她的鼓励让我不再气馁。

Tā de gǔlì ràng wǒ bù zài qìněi.

Her encouragement made me no longer discouraged.

在漫长的比赛中，运动员们毫不气馁。

Zài màncháng de bǐsài zhōng, yùndòngyuánmen háo bù qìněi.

In the long competition, the athletes were not discouraged at all.

即使多次尝试都失败了，他依然不气馁。

Jíshǐ duōcì chángshì dōu shībài le, tā yīrán bù qìněi.

Even though many attempts failed, he still did not lose heart.

鉴于过去的经验，我们明白气馁并不能解决问题。

Jiànyú guòqù de jīngyàn, wǒmen míngbai qìněi bìng bù néng jiějué wèntí.

In view of past experiences, we understand that discouragement cannot solve problems.

Related Characters

Component: 妥

绥 荽 餒 綏 挼 浽 骽

Component: 饣

饭 馆 饮 饰 饿 饲 饱 饥 饶 饼 蚀 馈 饷 饵

Example Words

气馁 自馁