How to Write 累 (léi/lěi/lèi) — Meaning “tired, fatigued”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember the character 累?

Picture a field (田) full of tangled silk threads (糸). Carrying all that heavy silk makes you feel exhausted. This image connects the components with the meaning 'tired'.

Q: What are the key stroke order and proportion tips for writing 累?

Write the top 田 with a wide shape: left vertical, top horizontal, inner cross, bottom horizontal. Then write the bottom 糸 with three strokes: left-thread, center-thread, right-thread. Make sure 田 is wider than 糸; a common mistake is making the top too narrow.

Q: How is 累 different from the similar characters 紊 and 素?

累 has 田 (field) on top, meaning 'tired'. 紊 (wěn) has 文 (writing) on top and means 'disorder' or 'confused'. 素 (sù) has 龶 (a variation of 出) on top and means 'plain' or 'white'. Visually, focus on the different top parts.

Q: When and how is 累 used in modern Chinese?

累 is a common HSK Level 1 word meaning 'tired' or 'fatigued'. You can say 我很累 (I'm very tired) after work or exercise. In Chinese culture, it's polite to ask 你累吗? (Are you tired?) to show care for someone's well-being.

Q: What common words use 累?

Common words containing 累 include: 劳累 (láo lèi) — Tired; exhausted; 疲累 (pí lèi) — Tired and exhausted.; 积累 (jī lěi) — to accumulate / accumulation.

léi/lěi/lèi HSK Level 1 11 strokes Radical: 糸

累 (léi/lěi/lèi) means "tired, fatigued" in Chinese. It has 11 strokes with the radical 糸, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 95% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 6+ common words including 劳累 (láo lèi), 疲累 (pí lèi), 积累 (jī lěi).

Due to its 11 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 累 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 累 - léi/lěi/lèi

Practice Writing 累 (léi/lěi/lèi)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 累 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 累

The character 累 (léi/lěi/lèi) is written with 11 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 糸 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does léi/lěi/lèi (累) Mean in Chinese?

累 means tired, fatigued.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: léi, lěi, lèi.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 累 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character	累
Pinyin	léi / lěi / lèi (lei)
Meaning	tired, fatigued
Strokes	11
Radical	糸
HSK Level	1
Difficulty	3.7/5

Origin of 累

累 combines 糸 (silk thread) over 田 (field), originally depicting the accumulation of threads or layers—like piling up work in a field, which exhausts you. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'pile up' to 'tired from accumulation.'

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine pulling endless silk threads across a huge field (田) until you collapse from exhaustion—累 is the feeling of being weary from repetitive work.

Common Words with 累

劳累 láo lèi

Tired; exhausted

疲累 pí lèi

Tired and exhausted.

积累 jī lěi

to accumulate / accumulation

连累 lián lěi

To implicate; to involve; to bring trouble to.

果实累累 guǒ shí lěi lěi

Fruitful; hanging heavy with fruit.

累赘 léi zhuì

burdensome, a nuisance

Example Sentences

连续加班让他感到非常劳累。

lián xù jiā bān ràng tā gǎn dào fēi cháng láo lèi

Continuous overtime work has made him feel very tired.

经过一整天的长途跋涉，大家都感到非常疲累。

jīng guò yī zhěng tiān de cháng tú bá shè ， dà jiā dōu gǎn dào fēi cháng pí lèi 。

After a long day of trekking, everyone felt very exhausted.

通过多年的工作，他积累了丰富的管理经验。

tōng guò duō nián de gōng zuò ， tā jī lěi le fēng fù de guǎn lǐ jīng yàn 。

Through years of work, he has accumulated rich management experience.

他的个人错误连累了整个团队的进度。

tā de gè rén cuò wù lián lěi le zhěng gè tuán duì de jìn dù

His personal mistake delayed the progress of the entire team.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
累 (current)	léi / lěi / lèi	11	糸
紊	wěn	10	糸
素	sù	10	糸
索	suǒ	10	糸

Practice Writing 累 (léi/lěi/lèi)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 累 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 累

What are the components of 累 and how do they relate to its meaning?

累 is made of 田 (field) on top and 糸 (silk) below. Originally it meant 'to accumulate' or 'pile up', like stacking silk in a field. The feeling of being tired comes from the idea of being overloaded with work or burdens.

What is a good memory trick to remember the character 累?

What are the key stroke order and proportion tips for writing 累?

How is 累 different from the similar characters 紊 and 素?

When and how is 累 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 累?

How to Write 累 (léi/lěi/lèi) — Meaning “tired, fatigued”

Practice Writing 累 (léi/lěi/lèi)

How to Write 累

What Does léi/lěi/lèi (累) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 累

Common Words with 累

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 累 (léi/lěi/lèi)

Frequently Asked Questions about 累

More HSK Level 1 Characters

Characters with Radical 糸

Other 11-Stroke Characters