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懣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
懣mènsad, sorrowful, sick at heartx, 18 strokes, radical 心
mèn(men4)men T4
  1. 1sad, sorrowful, sick at heart
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March 24, 2026

懣mèn(men4)

The character 懣 (mèn) conveys a deep sense of sadness or sorrow. It is often used to describe a profound emotional state, particularly one that feels overwhelming or difficult to articulate. This word reflects a state of being heartbroken or emotionally distressed, and it is less commonly used in everyday conversation.

Strokes18Radical心
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, expressing sorrow is often done in a more subdued manner compared to some Western cultures, where open displays of emotion are common. The character '懣' encapsulates the introspective nature of dealing with sadness within the cultural context.

Memory tip

Imagine a heart heavy with sorrow, symbolized by the radical '忄' (heart) on the left side of the character. The right side, '闷', can be thought of as a closed door (or '闷' means 'to feel trapped') that keeps all that sadness inside, illustrating the weight of unexpressed emotions. Picture a scene where someone is sitting behind a closed door, feeling deeply forlorn.

Meanings of 懣

mèn(men4)
1sad, sorrowful, sick at heart
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 懣

懣Simplified
18Strokes
心Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 懣

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Podcast: 懣

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AI Study Notes for 懣

Quick Contrast

愁 (chóu, to worry) - use 懣 when expressing a deeper, more overwhelming sadness compared to the more general sense of worry conveyed by 愁.

Usage Notes

This character is more formal and may not be widely recognized in casual conversation, so it’s often better to use more common synonyms like '伤心' (shāngxīn) instead. Be careful with the tone; 'mèn' has a falling tone, which can change the meaning if mispronounced. Common collocations include '懣闷' (mènmèn) for feeling trapped in sorrow.

HSK Study Tips

Though this character is not part of the HSK curriculum, it connects to emotions, which are frequently explored in HSK levels 1-3. Students should focus on understanding emotional vocabulary and how to express feelings effectively in Chinese.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '懣' with '闷' (mèn), which means 'bored' or 'stuffy'; they are related but convey different feelings. For example, saying '我很懣' (wǒ hěn mèn) correctly expresses deep sorrow, while '我很闷' (wǒ hěn mèn) would imply boredom or physical discomfort.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 懣

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Etymology of 懣

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

With a heavy 滿 heart 心; 滿 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 懣?

Decomposition of 懣

IDS Structure⿱滿心
懣Full character
=
滿man3
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 懣?

How to say sad, sorrowful, sick at heart in Chinese

“sad, sorrowful, sick at heart” in Chinese is懣mèn

The character 懣 (mèn) conveys a deep sense of sadness or sorrow. It is often used to describe a profound emotional state, particularly one that feels overwhelming or difficult to articulate. This word reflects a state of being heartbroken or emotionally distressed, and it is less commonly used in everyday conversation.

When to use 懣

This character is more formal and may not be widely recognized in casual conversation, so it’s often better to use more common synonyms like '伤心' (shāngxīn) instead. Be careful with the tone; 'mèn' has a falling tone, which can change the meaning if mispronounced. Common collocations include '懣闷' (mènmèn) for feeling trapped in sorrow.

懣 or something close to it

愁 (chóu, to worry) - use 懣 when expressing a deeper, more overwhelming sadness compared to the more general sense of worry conveyed by 愁.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '懣' with '闷' (mèn), which means 'bored' or 'stuffy'; they are related but convey different feelings. For example, saying '我很懣' (wǒ hěn mèn) correctly expresses deep sorrow, while '我很闷' (wǒ hěn mèn) would imply boredom or physical discomfort.

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懣

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Word Family of 懣

Words containing this character2
愤懑depressed憤懣
懑mènmelancholy懣
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 懣

What does 愤懑 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 懣

'懣' is not commonly used in everyday speech; it's more formal and might be found in literature or poetry.

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