折腾

zhē teng

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Verb Uncommon

Definitions

1. to toss from side to side (e.g. sleeplessly)
2. to repeat sth over and over again
3. to torment sb
4. to play crazy
5. to squander (time, money)

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Word relationships

Related words

1 item

反复

fǎn fù

repeatedly

一遍又一遍地做

Synonyms

1 item

闹腾

nào teng

to disturb

翻来覆去，反复做某事

Usage notes

Common mistakes

折腾 (zhēteng) often carries a negative connotation of pointless effort or causing trouble, unlike 尝试 (try) which is neutral.

Formality

折腾 is colloquial and commonly used in informal speech; avoid in formal writing.

Child Words of 折腾

to rise or boil up

to snap

to turn sth over

to break

折腾