Meanings of 厭
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About 厭
Podcast: 厭
Podcast: 厭
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AI Study Notes for 厭
厭 (yàn) vs 讨厌 (tǎoyàn) — use 厭 for a stronger sense of detestation, while 讨厌 is more casual or mild.
Be careful not to confuse 厭 with similar-sounding characters like 研 (yán, to grind), as this can lead to misunderstandings. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in phrases like 厭倦 (yànjuàn, to be tired of) and 厭惡 (yànwù, to loathe). Pay attention to the tone, as the fourth tone can change the meaning.
Although 厭 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to HSK Level 4 words like 喜欢 (xǐhuān, to like) and 嫌 (xián, to dislike). Focus on practicing its pronunciation and usage in negative contexts to differentiate it from positive expressions.
Learners often confuse 厭 with 喜 (xǐ, to like), leading to incorrect phrases. For example, saying '我厭這個' to mean 'I like this' is incorrect; it should be '我喜歡這個'.
Pronunciation of 厭
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Etymology of 厭
Simplified form of 厭. Pictograph of a dog (犬) with a piece of meat (肉) in its mouth (口). Based on the original meaning "satiated". The meaning later shifted to "be fed up with" and "dislike". The traditional component 肉 was removed for simplifi
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Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 厭
Simplified form of 厭. Pictograph of a dog (犬) with a piece of meat (肉) in its mouth (口). Based on the original meaning "satiated". The meaning later shifted to "be fed up with" and "dislike". The traditional component 肉 was removed for simplifi
- 1The meaning half厂 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half猒 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaycliff
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 厭? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 厭?
Decomposition of 厭
Identify the Components
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How to say to dislike, to detest; to reject; to satiate in Chinese
“to dislike, to detest; to reject; to satiate” in Chinese is厭
The character 厭 (yàn) means to dislike or detest something. It is commonly used to express strong aversion or rejection towards people, situations, or even food. Additionally, it can imply a sense of being satiated or tired of something due to overexposure.
When to use 厭
Be careful not to confuse 厭 with similar-sounding characters like 研 (yán, to grind), as this can lead to misunderstandings. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in phrases like 厭倦 (yànjuàn, to be tired of) and 厭惡 (yànwù, to loathe). Pay attention to the tone, as the fourth tone can change the meaning.
厭 or something close to it
厭 (yàn) vs 讨厌 (tǎoyàn) — use 厭 for a stronger sense of detestation, while 讨厌 is more casual or mild.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 厭 with 喜 (xǐ, to like), leading to incorrect phrases. For example, saying '我厭這個' to mean 'I like this' is incorrect; it should be '我喜歡這個'.
Write 厭
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Word Family of 厭
Compound Meaning
What does 讨厌 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 厭
You can say 我厭倦這個工作 (Wǒ yànjuàn zhège gōngzuò), meaning 'I am tired of this job.'
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