害 (hài) - harm, damage, injury & to harm, to injure

害Tone 4

hài ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

害 · hài

harm, damage, injury;

to harm, to injure;

calamity, disaster;

evil, harmful;

to suffer from;

to feel (itch, pain, etc.

);

to kill, to murder;

to hinder, to obstruct;

crucial, vital;

why, how.

harm, damage, injuryto harm, to injurecalamity, disaster

Usage highlights

harmfuldamagevictimdisastermurderfear

Synonyms

  • 损— damage, harm
  • 伤— injure, wound
  • 祸— disaster, calamity

Antonyms

  • 益— benefit, advantage
  • 利— profit, benefit
  • 护— protect, guard

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Smoking is harmful to health (吸烟有害健康).
  • Natural disasters cause great damage (自然灾害造成巨大损害).
  • He suffered from a headache (他感到头痛).
  • This is a crucial point (这是一个要害).
  • Why are you late?(你为何迟到？)

Collocations

  • harmful(有害)
  • damage(损害)
  • victim(受害者)
  • disaster(灾害)
  • murder(杀害)
  • fear(害怕)

Idioms

  • To suffer a calamity and bring disaster upon oneself(害群之马)
  • To injure others and bring harm to oneself(害人害己)
  • To be detrimental to the public interest(害公肥私)
  • To suffer from one's own actions(自害自身)
  • To do things that are harmful to others(图财害命)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, 'harm' is strongly associated with negative moral consequences and is often warned against in classical texts.
  • The character appears in many cautionary idioms and proverbs about the consequences of harmful actions.
  • In legal and moral contexts, '害' carries strong negative connotations of intentional wrongdoing.

FAQ