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不满 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
不满bùmǎnresentfulHSK 4, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #6432, Medium
不满bùmǎndiscontentedHSK 4, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #6432, Medium
不满bùmǎndissatisfiedHSK 4, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #6432, Medium
bùmǎn(bu4man3)bu man T4
  1. 1resentful
  2. 2discontented
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March 24, 2026

不满(不滿)bùmǎn(bu4man3)

不满 (bù mǎn) means feeling dissatisfied, discontented, or resentful about something. It is commonly used to express dissatisfaction with a situation, person, or outcome, often in both personal and professional contexts.

Strokes17Frequency#6432DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

Expressions of dissatisfaction can carry different weights in Chinese culture compared to Western cultures, where directness is often more accepted. In China, it is sometimes more common to express discontent indirectly or with subtlety.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person (不) who is unable to fill (满) their cup. They are looking at the half-empty cup with a frown, feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. This visual connects the components of the character to its meaning of dissatisfaction.

Meanings of 不满

bùmǎn(bu4man3)
1resentful
2discontented
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About 不满

不满Simplified
不滿Traditional
17Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4ElementaryTOCFLL2YCTL3HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 不满

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Podcast: 不满

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AI Study Notes for 不满

Quick Contrast

不满 (dissatisfied) vs 不快 (unhappy) — use 不满 when expressing dissatisfaction specifically about a situation or outcome, while 不快 conveys a more general sense of unhappiness.

Usage Notes

不满 is often used in both formal and informal contexts, but be cautious of its tone as it can imply strong feelings. Common collocations include 不满的情绪 (dissatisfied emotions) and 对...不满 (dissatisfied with...). Avoid using it in overly casual conversations where softer expressions might be more appropriate.

HSK Study Tips

While 不满 is not specifically listed in HSK levels, it connects well with other negative emotion words like 生气 (shēng qì, angry) and 不高兴 (bù gāo xìng, unhappy). Focus on using it in sentences to describe feelings about specific situations to enhance your fluency.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 不满 with 满意, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我对这件事感到满意' (I feel dissatisfied with this matter) is incorrect; it should be 不满 instead.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 不满

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Component Characters

不bù(negative prefix)
HSK 14 strokes一
View full entry
满mǎnto fill
HSK 413 strokes氵
View full entry

How to say resentful in Chinese

“resentful” in Chinese is不满bùmǎn

不满 (bù mǎn) means feeling dissatisfied, discontented, or resentful about something. It is commonly used to express dissatisfaction with a situation, person, or outcome, often in both personal and professional contexts.

When to use 不满

不满 is often used in both formal and informal contexts, but be cautious of its tone as it can imply strong feelings. Common collocations include 不满的情绪 (dissatisfied emotions) and 对...不满 (dissatisfied with...). Avoid using it in overly casual conversations where softer expressions might be more appropriate.

不满 or something close to it

不满 (dissatisfied) vs 不快 (unhappy) — use 不满 when expressing dissatisfaction specifically about a situation or outcome, while 不快 conveys a more general sense of unhappiness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 不满 with 满意, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我对这件事感到满意' (I feel dissatisfied with this matter) is incorrect; it should be 不满 instead.

Write 不满

不
满

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Frequently Asked Questions about 不满

You can say '我对这件事感到不满' (I feel dissatisfied with this matter).

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