伤痕累累
shāng hén lěi lěi
covered in scars; badly battered
Character by character
伤shāng
wound
wound
痕hén
scar
scar
累lěi
heaped
heaped
累lěi
up
up
Example
退役的时候，他的两个膝盖已经伤痕累累，连上楼梯都疼。
By the time he retired both his knees were badly battered, and even climbing stairs hurt.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
累累 (lěi lěi) is “piled up one after another”, as in 罪行累累. Used of bodies and, figuratively, of a person, a town or an economy that has taken blow after blow: 战后伤痕累累的城市.
Learn this in Lesson 148 · HSK 7–9: 举重与举国体制 (Weightlifting and the state sports system)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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