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March 24, 2026
厌(厭)yàn(yan4)
The character 厌 (yàn) means to loathe or detest something. It is often used to express a strong dislike or rejection of ideas, situations, or even people. This term can also imply a sense of being fed up or saturated with something, indicating a desire to avoid it.
Strokes6Radical厂Frequency#7043DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing dislike can sometimes be more subtle than in Western cultures. People may use 厌 in a more nuanced way, often implying dissatisfaction without outright confrontation, reflecting a cultural emphasis on harmony.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person standing on a pile of trash, holding their nose (the radical 厂 suggests a place) because they are so disgusted (yàn) by the smell. The visual of someone literally 'standing over' something they loathe helps connect the character with its meaning and pronunciation.
Meanings of 厌
yàn(yan4)
1to loathe
2to dislike, to detest; to reject; to satiate
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About 厌
厌Simplified
厭Traditional
6Strokes
厂Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#7043Frequency Rank
Podcast: 厌
Podcast: 厌
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AI Study Notes for 厌
Quick Contrast
厌 (yàn) vs 恨 (hèn) — choose 厌 when expressing a sense of being fed up or distaste, while 恨 conveys a stronger feeling of hatred.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person standing on a pile of trash, holding their nose (the radical 厂 suggests a place) because they are so disgusted (yàn) by the smell. The visual of someone literally 'standing over' something they loathe helps connect the character with its meaning and pronunciation.
Usage Notes
This verb is typically used in more informal contexts. A common mistake is to confuse 厌 with 喜欢 (xǐ huān, to like), so be careful to use 厌 only when you want to express strong dislike. It often appears in phrases like 厌烦 (yàn fán, to be fed up with) or 厌恶 (yàn wù, to detest).
HSK Study Tips
While 厌 is not officially part of the HSK vocabulary, it's beneficial for students at the intermediate level to understand negative emotions and preferences. It connects well with other verbs expressing feelings, like 喜 (xǐ, to like) and 爱 (ài, to love), to create a fuller emotional vocabulary.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing dislike can sometimes be more subtle than in Western cultures. People may use 厌 in a more nuanced way, often implying dissatisfaction without outright confrontation, reflecting a cultural emphasis on harmony.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 厌 in contexts where a milder word like 不喜欢 (bù xǐ huān, to not like) would be more appropriate. For example, saying 我厌这个菜 (Wǒ yàn zhège cài, I loathe this dish) might be too strong for a simple dislike.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 厌
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六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声å—)~80-90% of characters
Explanation
Simplified form of 厭. Pictograph of a dog (犬) with a piece of meat (肉) in its mouth (口). Based on the original meaning "satiated". The meaning later shifted to "be fed up with" and "dislike". The traditional component 肉 was removed for simplifi
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Grammar Patterns of 厌
厌 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
He was disgusted that a British minister could have behaved so disgracefully.
10
内心里我觉得他是个非常讨厌的家伙.
nèi xīn lǐ wǒ jué dé tā shì gè fēi cháng tǎo yàn de jiā huǒ.
Underneath I think he's actually a rather nasty piece of work.
Cultural Notes for 厌
💡Did you know?
The character '厌' is composed of a radical that suggests a connection to a 'cliff' and a phonetic component. This visual may symbolize the idea of being pushed to the edge, which aligns with feelings of loathing or disgust.
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, expressing dislike can sometimes be more subtle than in Western cultures. People may use 厌 in a more nuanced way, often implying dissatisfaction without outright confrontation, reflecting a cultural emphasis on harmony.
📜Proverb
In Chinese culture, there is a saying: '厌倦是常态', meaning 'Boredom is a normal state.' This reflects the understanding that feelings of discontent can arise in daily life, urging individuals to seek change.
Word Family of 厌
Compounds5
魇yan3nightmare, bad dream
靥ye4dimples
恹yan1feeble, sickly, weak; tranquil
餍yan4full, satiated; to eat one's fill
黡
Words Containing This Character20
讨厌tǎoyànto dislike討厭
厌倦yànjuànto be weary of厭倦
厌恶yànwùto loathe厭惡
厌yànto loathe厭
厌烦yànfánbored厭煩
不厌其烦to take great pains不厭其煩
厌氧anaerobic厭氧
厌食anorexia厭食
喜新厌旧lit. to like the new, and hate the old (idiom); fig. enamored with new people (e.g. new girlfriend), bored with the old喜新厭舊
厌食症anorexia厭食症
厌世world-weary厭世
贪得无厌avaricious and insatiable (idiom); greedy and never satisfied貪得無厭
会厌epiglottis會厭
生厌to disgust生厭
厌弃to spurn厭棄
惹人厌annoying惹人厭
兵不厌诈all's fair in war兵不厭詐
百听不厌worth hearing a hundred times百聽不厭
学而不厌study tirelessly (idiom, from Analects)學而不厭
百读不厌to be worth reading a hundred times (idiom)百讀不厭
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 魇 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 厌
Some synonyms for 厌 (yàn) include 讨厌 (tǎo yàn), which also means to dislike, and 厌烦 (yàn fán), which means to be annoyed or fed up with something. These words can be used interchangeably in different contexts to express similar sentiments.
Yes, 厌 (yàn) can be used in both formal and informal contexts. In formal writing, it might describe feelings of dissatisfaction in a professional setting, while in informal conversations, it can express annoyance or dislike among friends. The context will determine the level of formality.
厌 (yàn) means to loathe or detest something. It can also denote a sense of rejection or dislike towards someone or something. In certain contexts, it can imply being satiated or tired of something due to excessive exposure.
You can use 厌 (yàn) in sentences like '我厌倦了这个工作' (Wǒ yàn juàn le zhège gōngzuò), which means 'I am tired of this job.' It expresses a strong negative feeling towards something. It is often used to convey dissatisfaction or a desire to avoid something.
Yes, you can use 厌 to express strong dislike for food, but be mindful of context, as it may come off as rude.
Typically, 厌 is more common in informal speech and writing; for formal contexts, consider using terms like 拒绝 (jù jué, to reject) instead.
