How to Write 疲 (pí) — Meaning “tired”

Imagine your skin (皮) feels heavy and sore, as if it has an illness (疒), because you are just too tired. Picture the radical as a bed and the inside as a limp person lying on it. This connects the two parts visually to the meaning of fatigue.

Write the radical 疒 first: dot, horizontal stroke with left-falling hook, then two dots inside. Then add 皮: start with the horizontal hook, then vertical stroke, then the left-falling stroke (撇), and finally the right stroke (捺). A common mistake is making the inner part 皮 too wide — keep it narrow so the whole character stays balanced.

All three share the 疒 radical, but 疲 specifically means physical tiredness (疲 pí), while 疙 (gē) means a lump or pimple on the skin, and 疚 (jiù) means remorse or guilt. Visually, 疲 has 皮 inside, 疙 has 乞, and 疚 has 久. So 疲 is about exhaustion, not skin bumps or inner regret.

疲 appears mostly in formal or written expressions like 疲劳 (fatigue), 疲惫 (exhausted), and 疲倦 (weary). It is less common in casual speech than 累 (lèi). In Chinese culture, openly saying you are 疲 can imply a deeper exhaustion, often from work or study, reflecting the value of perseverance but also acknowledging the need for rest.

Common words containing 疲 include: 疲劳 (pí láo) — fatigue; 疲惫 (pí bèi) — exhausted; 疲倦 (pí juàn) — weary.