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囔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
囔nāngto mumble, to mutterv, 25 strokes, radical 口, rank #79738, Very Hard
囔nāngmuttering, indistinct speechunknown, 25 strokes, radical 口, rank #79738, Very Hard
nāng(nang1) T1
  1. 1to mumble, to mutter
  2. 2muttering, indistinct speech
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

囔nāng(nang1)

The character 囔 (nāng) refers to the act of mumbling or muttering, often implying indistinct or unclear speech. It is commonly used to describe when someone speaks in a low voice, making it difficult for others to understand what is being said, often due to shyness or distraction.

Strokes25Radical口Frequency#79738DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, muttering can be associated with humility or reluctance to speak up, reflecting a value placed on modesty in social interactions. This behavior might be seen in traditional settings where respect and politeness are highly regarded.

Memory Tip

Think of a person with a mouth full of food, trying to speak clearly but only managing to produce mumbled sounds. The outer structure of the character (囗) resembles a mouth, while the inner part (囔) suggests the jumbled sounds coming out—a vivid picture of indistinct speech.

Meanings of 囔

nāng(nang1)
1to mumble, to mutter
2muttering, indistinct speech
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 囔

囔Simplified
25Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 囔

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Podcast: 囔

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AI Study Notes for 囔

Quick Contrast

喃 (nán) - use 囔 (nāng) for indistinct mumbling, while 喃 (nán) often refers to a soft, murmuring voice, typically with a more affectionate or soothing connotation.

Usage Notes

When using 囔, be cautious about its register; it tends to be informal and may not be suitable for formal contexts. It is often used in conjunction with other words to describe specific situations, such as '低声囔囔' (muttering softly). Watch out for tone mistakes, as mispronouncing the first tone can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Although 囔 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it shares similarities with other expressions related to speech, such as 说 (shuō, to speak) and 咕 (gū, to mutter). Focus on recognizing the character's usage in context, especially in dialogues about communication.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 囔 with other speech-related verbs like 说 (shuō) or 咕 (gū). For example, saying '我在说你' (wǒ zài shuō nǐ) instead of '我在囔你' (wǒ zài nāng nǐ) misses the nuance of mumbling.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 囔

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Etymology of 囔

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

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 囔

  1. 1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half囊 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 囔? 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 囔?

Decomposition of 囔

IDS Structure⿰口囊
囔Full Character
=
口kou3
left
囊nang2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 囔?

How to say to mumble, to mutter in Chinese

“to mumble, to mutter” in Chinese is囔nāng

The character 囔 (nāng) refers to the act of mumbling or muttering, often implying indistinct or unclear speech. It is commonly used to describe when someone speaks in a low voice, making it difficult for others to understand what is being said, often due to shyness or distraction.

When to use 囔

When using 囔, be cautious about its register; it tends to be informal and may not be suitable for formal contexts. It is often used in conjunction with other words to describe specific situations, such as '低声囔囔' (muttering softly). Watch out for tone mistakes, as mispronouncing the first tone can change the meaning.

囔 or something close to it

喃 (nán) - use 囔 (nāng) for indistinct mumbling, while 喃 (nán) often refers to a soft, murmuring voice, typically with a more affectionate or soothing connotation.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 囔 with other speech-related verbs like 说 (shuō) or 咕 (gū). For example, saying '我在说你' (wǒ zài shuō nǐ) instead of '我在囔你' (wǒ zài nāng nǐ) misses the nuance of mumbling.

Write 囔

囔

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 囔

Words Containing This Character3
嘟囔to mumble to oneself
囔囔to murmur
囔nāngmuttering, indistinct speech
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 嘟囔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 囔

While 说 (shuō) means 'to speak' in a general sense, 囔 (nāng) specifically refers to mumbling or indistinct speech.

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