Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
愠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
愠yùnangry, indignant; resentful, sulkingzg, 12 strokes, radical 忄
愠yùnfeel hurtunknown, 12 strokes, radical 忄
yùn(yun4)yun T4
  1. 1angry, indignant; resentful, sulking
  2. 2feel hurt
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

愠(慍)yùn(yun4)

The character 愠 (yùn) expresses feelings of anger or indignation, often stemming from a sense of injustice or being wronged. It is commonly used in contexts where someone feels resentful or sulks in response to a perceived slight or hurtful situation.

Strokes12Radical忄
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing feelings of hurt or anger can be seen as a loss of face, so the term 愠 encapsulates a more subdued, internalized form of indignation, reflecting the cultural tendency to manage emotions carefully.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person frowning with furrowed brows, arms crossed in front of their chest, feeling 'yùn' (angry) because someone broke their favorite toy. The character combines the 'feeling' radical (忄) on the left, indicating emotions, with '云' (cloud), suggesting a stormy or cloudy mood when upset.

Meanings of 愠

yùn(yun4)
1angry, indignant; resentful, sulking
2feel hurt
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 愠 means.

About 愠

愠Simplified
慍Traditional
12Strokes
忄Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 愠

JasonAmy

Podcast: 愠

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 愠

Quick Contrast

愤 (fèn) — use 愠 (yùn) for feelings of indignation stemming from a personal slight, while 愤 (fèn) conveys a more intense anger often related to broader injustices.

Usage Notes

While the word can be used in formal contexts, it is more commonly found in literary or expressive language rather than everyday conversation. Learners should be careful not to confuse 愠 with other words for anger, such as 生气 (shēngqì), which is more direct and commonly used.

HSK Study Tips

Although not listed in HSK levels, 愠 relates to emotions and feelings, which are covered in basic vocabulary. Focus on understanding how it fits with other emotional expressions and its nuanced meaning compared to simpler synonyms.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 愠 with similar characters like 生气 (shēngqì) or 愤怒 (fènnù), which convey more overt anger. For example, saying '我感到愤怒' (wǒ gǎndào fènnù) is appropriate, while saying '我感到愠' in casual contexts might sound overly formal.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 愠

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 愠 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Jason Explains 愠 to You

Let me explain 愠 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 愠 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 300 AI credits.

How Well Do You Know 愠?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 愠 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 愠

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

heart

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

Origin

愠 = 忄 + 昷. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 愠

IDS Structure⿰忄昷
愠Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
昷wen1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 愠?

How to say angry, indignant; resentful, sulking in Chinese

“angry, indignant; resentful, sulking” in Chinese is愠yùn

The character 愠 (yùn) expresses feelings of anger or indignation, often stemming from a sense of injustice or being wronged. It is commonly used in contexts where someone feels resentful or sulks in response to a perceived slight or hurtful situation.

When to use 愠

While the word can be used in formal contexts, it is more commonly found in literary or expressive language rather than everyday conversation. Learners should be careful not to confuse 愠 with other words for anger, such as 生气 (shēngqì), which is more direct and commonly used.

愠 or something close to it

愤 (fèn) — use 愠 (yùn) for feelings of indignation stemming from a personal slight, while 愤 (fèn) conveys a more intense anger often related to broader injustices.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 愠 with similar characters like 生气 (shēngqì) or 愤怒 (fènnù), which convey more overt anger. For example, saying '我感到愤怒' (wǒ gǎndào fènnù) is appropriate, while saying '我感到愠' in casual contexts might sound overly formal.

Write 愠

愠

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 愠?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 300 AI credits.

Word Family of 愠

Words Containing This Character2
愠怒indignant慍怒
愠yùnindignant慍
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 愠

What does 愠怒 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 愠

It is more common in literary contexts or formal writing, rather than in everyday speech.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 愠?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab