厉害
lìhài · HSK 5
terrible
💥 厉 (severe) + 害 (harm) = severe-harm, i.e. fierce or formidable
厉 means stern or severe; 害 means harm or damage. Together they describe something so intense it can hurt — used for fierce people, devastating skills, or tough situations. Modern slang flips it positive: 'awesome, badass'.
害 — 宀 roof + 丯 (phonetic) + 口 mouth
Originally an ideograph showing harm spoken under a roof, with 宀 (roof/house) on top, a phonetic element 丯 in the middle, and 口 (mouth) below suggesting harmful speech. Over time it shifted from 'injury caused by words' to the broader senses of 'harm,' 'injure,' and 'fear.'