How to Write 恹 (yān) — Meaning “Weak or listless.”

Imagine your heart (忄) is so tired that it feels like a sick person lying down — the right side 厌 looks like a person resting under a roof (厂) with a dog (犬) nearby. This helps you remember that 恹 means weak and weary.

Write the left radical 忄 first: two short dots from top to bottom, then a vertical stroke. Then write the right part 厌: first the horizontal stroke and left-falling stroke of 厂, then the strokes for 犬 (beware the dot is last). A common mistake is making the left radical too large — keep it narrow. Also ensure the 厂 covers the 犬 properly, not too high.

The key difference is the right component. 恹 uses 厌 (disgust/weariness) and means 'weak and listless'. 忡 uses 中 (middle) and means 'worried' or 'anxious'. 忤 uses 午 (noon) and means 'disobedient' or 'opposing'. Visually, 忡 has a box-like 中, 忤 has a cross-like 午, and 恹 has a roof (厂) over a dog (犬).

恹 is not common in everyday speech but appears in literary or descriptive phrases like 恹恹欲睡 (drowsy and listless) and 病恹恹 (sickly). It carries a poetic, melancholic feel, often used in classical poetry to describe a languid or weary state. You may encounter it in novels or essays to evoke a sense of gentle exhaustion.

Common words containing 恹 include: 恹恹 (yān yān) — Weak and weary.; 病恹恹 (bìng yān yān) — sickly; 恹恹欲睡 (yān yān yù shuì) — Drowsy and listless..