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怏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
怏yàngdiscontented, dispirited, sadz, 8 strokes, radical 忄
yàng(yang4)yang T4
  1. 1discontented, dispirited, sad
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March 24, 2026

怏yàng(yang4)

The character 怏 (yàng) conveys a sense of discontentment or sadness. It is often used to describe a feeling of dissatisfaction or a dispirited state, particularly in contexts where someone feels let down or unhappy about a situation.

Strokes8Radical忄
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, expressing discontent is often seen as a sign of weakness. People may prefer to show resilience or accept circumstances rather than vocalize their discontent, making 怏 a subtle yet poignant expression of internal struggle.

Memory tip

Imagine a sad face (representing 'discontent') with a heavy heart. The character 怏 has a radical 心 (heart) at the bottom, suggesting emotions. Picture the heart feeling heavy, thus reminding you of the meaning of 'discontented.' The pronunciation 'yàng' sounds like 'young,' and you might think of a young person feeling sad about not getting what they want.

Meanings of 怏

yàng(yang4)
1discontented, dispirited, sad
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 怏 means.

About 怏

怏Simplified
8Strokes
忄Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 怏

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Podcast: 怏

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AI study notes for 怏

Quick Contrast

怏 (yàng) vs 忧 (yōu) — use 怏 for a sense of discontentment with a specific situation, while 忧 conveys a more general sense of worry or concern.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 怏 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu), which means 'worried.' Remember that 怏 specifically focuses on discontentment, while 忧 emphasizes worry. It's more commonly used in literary or formal contexts rather than everyday conversation.

HSK Study Tips

As this character is not part of HSK vocabulary, students should focus on its emotional nuances and how it can be used in written Chinese. Connecting it with other emotional words can enhance vocabulary related to feelings.

Common Mistakes

Learners may incorrectly use 怏 to mean 'angry,' but this is inaccurate. Instead, use 愤怒 (fèn nù) for 'anger.' For example, saying '我对这件事感到怏' when you mean 'angry' is incorrect; it should be '我对这件事感到愤怒.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 怏

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Etymology of 怏

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

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)央
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

怏 = 忄 + 央. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 怏

IDS Structure⿰忄央
怏Full character
=
忄xin1
left
央yang1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 怏?

How to say discontented, dispirited, sad in Chinese

“discontented, dispirited, sad” in Chinese is怏yàng

The character 怏 (yàng) conveys a sense of discontentment or sadness. It is often used to describe a feeling of dissatisfaction or a dispirited state, particularly in contexts where someone feels let down or unhappy about a situation.

When to use 怏

Learners often confuse 怏 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu), which means 'worried.' Remember that 怏 specifically focuses on discontentment, while 忧 emphasizes worry. It's more commonly used in literary or formal contexts rather than everyday conversation.

怏 or something close to it

怏 (yàng) vs 忧 (yōu) — use 怏 for a sense of discontentment with a specific situation, while 忧 conveys a more general sense of worry or concern.

What learners get wrong

Learners may incorrectly use 怏 to mean 'angry,' but this is inaccurate. Instead, use 愤怒 (fèn nù) for 'anger.' For example, saying '我对这件事感到怏' when you mean 'angry' is incorrect; it should be '我对这件事感到愤怒.'

Write 怏

怏

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

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Grammar patterns of 怏

怏 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

索比____怏不乐地停止了白费力气的闹嚷.

Disconsolate, Soapy ceased his unavailing racket.

Example sentences for 怏 (1)

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1
索比怏怏不乐地停止了白费力气的闹嚷.

Suǒ bǐ yàng yàng bù lè dì tíngzhǐ le bái fèilì qì de nào rǎng.

Disconsolate, Soapy ceased his unavailing racket.

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Word Family of 怏

Words containing this character1
怏yàngdiscontented

Frequently asked questions about 怏

You can say '他对这件事感到怏' (He feels discontented about this matter).

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