厉害 lì hai
“(used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible; intense; severe”
adjective, adjective / nounHSK 4 · 2021 list level 5Traditional 厲害
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
厉害 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1465: 厉害 lìhai — Level 4; official annotation 4 (形). PDF page 116
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 厉害
厉害 most often describes someone or something that makes a strong impression: “awesome, impressive, very capable,” or “fierce, intense, severe” for illness, weather, or situations. It is an adjective, so it commonly follows 很/真/太 or comes at the end as a comment: 他很厉害 / 真厉害 / 太厉害了. For “be good at something,” use topic + 很厉害, e.g. 他打篮球很厉害.
例句Example sentences
- 你真厉害，这么快就学会了。nǐ zhēn lì hài, zhè me kuài jiù xué huì le.You're amazing—you learned it so fast.
- 她数学很厉害，每次都考第一。tā shù xué hěn lì hài, měi cì dōu kǎo dì yī.She is really good at math and gets first place every time.
- 他病得很厉害，今天没来上课。tā bìng de hěn lì hài, jīn tiān méi lái shàng kè.He is seriously ill and didn't come to class today.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他打篮球很厉害地。
✓他打篮球很厉害。
厉害 is an adjective and does not need 地 here; 地 is not used at the end of this kind of comment.