弱 ruò — weak; feeble; young; inferior
他生病以后身体变得很虚弱。Tā shēng bìng yǐ hòu shēn tǐ biàn de hěn xū ruò.After getting sick, he became very weak.
Common words: 薄弱 (bó ruò)、脆弱 (cuì ruò)、弱点 (ruò diǎn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "feeble"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "feeble", including 弱 (ruò), 衰 (shuāi / cuī). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "feeble" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 弱 (ruò), 衰 (shuāi / cuī) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span ruò, shuāi, cuī — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 弱 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 弱 ruòweak; feeble; young; inferiorUseful words: 薄弱, 脆弱
- 衰 shuāi / cuīmourning garments; weak; feeble; decline; waneUseful words: 衰老, 衰退
Common words for these 2 "feeble" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 弱 (ruò) — so "feeble" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "feeble".
衰 shuāi / cuī — mourning garments; weak; feeble; decline; wane
人老了，身体会渐渐衰老。Rén lǎo le, shēn tǐ huì jiàn jiàn shuāi lǎo.As people age, their bodies gradually grow old.
Common words: 衰老 (shuāi lǎo)、衰退 (shuāi tuì)、衰竭 (shuāi jié)
All 2 characters
Open 弱、衰 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.