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嗔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嗔chēnto be angry at, to rebuke, to scoldv, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #94542, Very Hard
嗔chēnto be displeased and annoyedunknown, 13 strokes, radical 口, rank #94542, Very Hard
chēn(chen1) T1
  1. 1to be angry at, to rebuke, to scold
  2. 2to be displeased and annoyed
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

嗔chēn(chen1)

The character 嗔 (chēn) conveys the idea of expressing anger or displeasure, often through rebuking or scolding someone. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is upset with another person's actions or behavior, highlighting a sense of annoyance or irritation.

Strokes13Radical口Frequency#94542DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing anger or displeasure publicly can be seen as losing face, so 嗔 often appears in literature or storytelling rather than in direct interactions. It reflects the nuances of social harmony where direct confrontation is often avoided.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person with a loud voice (the '嗔' part resembles someone shouting) scolding a friend for being late. The sound 'chēn' can remind you of the sound of a reprimand, making it easier to associate the character with anger and displeasure.

Meanings of 嗔

chēn(chen1)
1to be angry at, to rebuke, to scold
2to be displeased and annoyed
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 嗔

嗔Simplified
13Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嗔

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Podcast: 嗔

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AI Study Notes for 嗔

Quick Contrast

怒 (nù) — use 嗔 when expressing annoyance or displeasure in a softer, more playful manner, while 怒 conveys a stronger, more intense form of anger.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 嗔 with similar characters that describe anger in a milder sense. It is generally used in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday casual conversation. Common collocations include 嗔怪 (to blame) and 嗔怒 (to be angry).

HSK Study Tips

Although 嗔 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, learners should focus on its emotional resonance and how it fits within the broader context of expressing feelings. This word connects well to other verbs related to emotions, such as 生气 (shēngqì, to be angry) and 忧虑 (yōulǜ, to worry).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嗔 with other similar characters like 怒 (nù, angry) or 恼 (nǎo, annoyed), which have slightly different connotations. For example, saying '我嗔他' (wǒ chēn tā) instead of '我生气他' (wǒ shēngqì tā) can sound overly formal in a casual setting.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嗔

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Etymology of 嗔

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 真 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)真
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 嗔

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 真 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half真 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymouth
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 嗔? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 嗔?

Decomposition of 嗔

IDS Structure⿰口真
嗔Full Character
=
口kou3
left
真zhen1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 嗔?

How to say to be angry at, to rebuke, to scold in Chinese

“to be angry at, to rebuke, to scold” in Chinese is嗔chēn

The character 嗔 (chēn) conveys the idea of expressing anger or displeasure, often through rebuking or scolding someone. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is upset with another person's actions or behavior, highlighting a sense of annoyance or irritation.

When to use 嗔

Be careful not to confuse 嗔 with similar characters that describe anger in a milder sense. It is generally used in more formal or literary contexts rather than everyday casual conversation. Common collocations include 嗔怪 (to blame) and 嗔怒 (to be angry).

嗔 or something close to it

怒 (nù) — use 嗔 when expressing annoyance or displeasure in a softer, more playful manner, while 怒 conveys a stronger, more intense form of anger.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嗔 with other similar characters like 怒 (nù, angry) or 恼 (nǎo, annoyed), which have slightly different connotations. For example, saying '我嗔他' (wǒ chēn tā) instead of '我生气他' (wǒ shēngqì tā) can sound overly formal in a casual setting.

Write 嗔

嗔

Practice writing 嗔 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 嗔

嗔 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.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

上下翼面各需要用两个密封____块.

Two sealing blocks are needed for both upper and lower surfaces.

Example Sentences for 嗔 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
上下翼面各需要用两个密封嗔块.

shàng xià yì miàn gè xū yào yòng liǎng gè mì fēng chēn kuài.

Two sealing blocks are needed for both upper and lower surfaces.

Word Family of 嗔

Words Containing This Character8
嗔chēnto be angry at
娇嗔(of a girl) to feign anger coquettishly嬌嗔
嗔怪to blame
嗔怒to get angry
嗔怨to complain
回嗔作喜to go from anger to happiness (idiom)
嗔斥to rebuke
嗔色angry or sullen look
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 嗔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嗔

The character 嗔 is pronounced as 'chēn', with a rising tone.

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