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不服气 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
不服气unwilling to concede; defiant; indignantHSK 7, unknown, 16 strokes, Very Hard
  1. 1unwilling to concede
  2. 2defiant
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March 24, 2026

不服气

不服气 (bù fú qì) means to feel indignant or unconvinced, often in response to unfair treatment or criticism. It is commonly used when someone disagrees with a situation or feels that they have been wrongly judged, expressing a sense of dissatisfaction or protest.

Strokes16DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

The concept of 不服气 is deeply rooted in Chinese cultural values of fairness and justice. It reflects the importance of social harmony and the individual's role in standing up against perceived injustices.

Memory tip

Imagine a person who cannot accept an unfair outcome, like losing a game they played well in. The character 不 (bù) means 'not,' and 服气 (fú qì) can be visualized as 'to submit to anger.' Together, it forms a vivid image of someone refusing to accept what seems unjust.

Meanings of 不服气

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In English

What does 不服气 mean in English?

不服气

About 不服气

不服气Simplified
16Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

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Podcast: 不服气

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AI study notes for 不服气

Quick Contrast

不服气 (bù fú qì) vs 不满 (bù mǎn) — use 不服气 when expressing indignation over perceived unfairness, while 不满 simply indicates dissatisfaction without the nuance of protest.

Usage Notes

Be careful with tone; 不服气 has a strong emotional connotation, so it is more suitable for informal contexts rather than formal discussions. Common collocations include 不服气的态度 (an indignant attitude) or 不服气的理由 (reasons for feeling indignant).

HSK Study Tips

This phrase is not included in the official HSK vocabulary but is useful for intermediate learners. Focus on the components 不 and 服, as they appear in other contexts. Understanding this phrase can help in expressing personal feelings and opinions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 不服气 with 服气 (fú qì), which means 'to submit' or 'to be convinced.' For example, saying '我服气' instead of '我不服气' changes the meaning from 'I am convinced' to 'I am indignant.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 不服气

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Component characters

不bù(negative prefix)
HSK 14 strokes一
View full entry
服fúclothes
HSK 68 strokes月
View full entry
气qìgas
HSK 44 strokes气
View full entry

How to say unwilling to concede in Chinese

“unwilling to concede” in Chinese is不服气

不服气 (bù fú qì) means to feel indignant or unconvinced, often in response to unfair treatment or criticism. It is commonly used when someone disagrees with a situation or feels that they have been wrongly judged, expressing a sense of dissatisfaction or protest.

When to use 不服气

Be careful with tone; 不服气 has a strong emotional connotation, so it is more suitable for informal contexts rather than formal discussions. Common collocations include 不服气的态度 (an indignant attitude) or 不服气的理由 (reasons for feeling indignant).

不服气 or something close to it

不服气 (bù fú qì) vs 不满 (bù mǎn) — use 不服气 when expressing indignation over perceived unfairness, while 不满 simply indicates dissatisfaction without the nuance of protest.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 不服气 with 服气 (fú qì), which means 'to submit' or 'to be convinced.' For example, saying '我服气' instead of '我不服气' changes the meaning from 'I am convinced' to 'I am indignant.'

Write 不服气

不
服
气

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Cultural Notes for 不服气

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, expressing indignation can often be more openly accepted, whereas in Chinese culture, it may be tempered by a focus on maintaining harmony.

Frequently asked questions about 不服气

You can say '我对他的话不服气' (I feel indignant about what he said).

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