泄气

• Pinyin: xiè qì
• Hanzi breakdown: 泄 = 氵+ 世 (release/discharge); 气 = 气 (air, breath, spirit — pictograph of vapour rising)

Meaning

To lose heart; to feel deflated or discouraged; to let the air out of something.

Used both literally (to deflate a tyre or balloon) and figuratively (to become demoralised or feel let down). In colloquial speech, it commonly describes a loss of enthusiasm or confidence after a setback.

Examples

1. 比赛刚开始就落后了好几分，队员们有些泄气。 Falling behind by several points right at the start, the players felt a bit deflated.
2. 不要因为一次失败就泄气，成功往往需要多次尝试。 Don’t get discouraged by a single failure—success often takes many attempts.
3. 轮胎在高速公路上泄气了，幸好他及时靠边停车。 The tire lost air on the highway, but luckily he pulled over in time.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, sports, motivation

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 面对接连不断的挫折，他没有泄气，而是沉下心来重新分析问题所在。(Faced with setback after setback, he did not lose heart; instead, he calmed himself and re-examined the root of the problem.)
• 教练在中场休息时鼓励球员不要泄气，强调比赛结果尚未定局。(The coach encouraged the players at half-time not to feel deflated, emphasising that the outcome of the match was still undecided.)

Don't Say

• 你这个人真泄气 as a general insult — 泄气 describes a momentary loss of confidence, not a character flaw; use 不争气 for a persistent pattern of disappointing behaviour

Origin & History

泄 (to release/let out) + 气 (air/spirit/energy) — to let air out, hence to become deflated in spirit

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal