懈 xiè idle
idle; relaxed
How to remember 懈: 忄 heart + 解 to explain = idle. The teacher starts to explain fractions for the third time, but after lunch every heart in class is sleepy and idle.
Component breakdown
懈 = 忄 heart + 解 to explain
- 忄 heart
- 解 to explain
- 角 horn
- 𭷔 knife and ox
The teacher starts to explain fractions for the third time, but after lunch every heart in class is sleepy and idle.
How it is used
- To slacken/let up: 松懈 (sōngxiè) to relax one's efforts, 懈怠 (xièdài) to slack off, 不懈 (búxiè) tireless.
- 坚持不懈 (jiānchí-búxiè) = to persevere unremittingly; 无懈可击 (wúxiè-kějī) = flawless, without a weak point to attack.
- Often appears negated (不懈) to praise sustained effort.