How to Write 赖 (lài) — Meaning “to rely on; to deny; to be unscrupulous”

Imagine a lazy person (lài sounds like 'lie') who lies around all day, refusing to work and relying on others. The left side 束 looks like a tied bundle of money, and the right side 贝 is a shell (ancient money) – so picture someone shamelessly tying up your money and denying they took it.

Write the left part 束 first with the horizontal stroke on top, then the middle mouth, then the vertical line through it; do not make the vertical line too long. The right part 贝 should be slightly narrower, and the final strokes are a vertical hook and two small strokes inside – avoid making the lower strokes too large or unbalanced.

赖 has 束 on the left and 贝 on the right, meaning 'rely on' or 'deny'. 賏 (yīng) has two 贝 side by side and refers to necklaces or ornaments, not used in modern Chinese. 赇 (qiú) has 求 on the left and 贝 on the right, meaning 'to bribe' – it focuses on money and seeking favors, unlike 赖's sense of shamelessness.

赖 is common in words like 依赖 (yī lài, to rely on) and 耍赖 (shuǎ lài, to act shamelessly or renege). It often carries a negative tone, describing someone who avoids responsibility or behaves dishonestly, like a child refusing to admit a mistake – it's not polite to call someone 赖皮 directly.

Common words containing 赖 include: 依赖 (yī lài) — to rely on; to depend on; 耍赖 (shuǎ lài) — To act shamelessly / To go back on one's word; 赖皮 (lài pí) — shameless; to act shamelessly.