挨 āi next to
next to; close by; near; towards; against; to suffer
How to remember 挨: 扌 hand + 矣 arrow gone = next to. His hand still holds the toy bow, the arrow gone over the fence, so the little boy sulks and sits down next to his big sister.
Component breakdown
挨 = 扌 hand + 矣 arrow gone
- 扌 hand
- 矣 arrow gone
His hand still holds the toy bow, the arrow gone over the fence, so the little boy sulks and sits down next to his big sister.
How it is used
- Two readings. āi: close to / next to, in order - 挨着坐 (āizhe zuò) to sit right next to, 挨家挨户 (āijiā-āihù) door to door.
- ái: to suffer/undergo (something bad) - 挨打 (áidǎ) to get beaten, 挨骂 (áimà) to be scolded, 挨饿 (ái'è) to go hungry, 挨到天亮 (áidào tiānliàng) drag through till dawn.
- The ái sense (to endure hardship) is very common and easy to overlook.