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懑 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
懑mènsad, sorrowful, sick at heartg, 17 strokes, radical 心
懑mènmelancholyunknown, 17 strokes, radical 心
mèn(men4)men T4
  1. 1sad, sorrowful, sick at heart
  2. 2melancholy
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March 24, 2026

懑(懣)mèn(men4)

The character 懑 (mèn) conveys a deep sense of sadness or melancholy, often associated with feelings of sorrow or being sick at heart. It is used in contexts where emotional distress is expressed, highlighting the weight of one's feelings rather than a temporary state of sadness.

Strokes17Radical心
Cultural note

In Chinese literature, melancholy is often portrayed through poetry and art, reflecting the value placed on emotional expression. The character 懑 can be found in classical texts that explore themes of love and loss.

Memory tip

Imagine a heavy heart (the radical 忄 represents feelings) weighed down by a dark cloud (the character itself resembles a cloud over a heart). The pronunciation 'mèn' can be remembered by thinking of a 'menacing' cloud that brings sorrow.

Meanings of 懑

mèn(men4)
1sad, sorrowful, sick at heart
2melancholy
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 懑

懑Simplified
懣Traditional
17Strokes
心Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 懑

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Podcast: 懑

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AI Study Notes for 懑

Quick Contrast

愁 (chóu) — use 懑 for deeper, more persistent sadness, while 愁 often refers to worry or anxiety.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 懑 with other similar-sounding characters that express sadness, such as 悲 (bēi) or 惨 (cǎn). It's more formal and poetic, making it less common in everyday conversation. Use it in literary contexts or to convey deep emotional states.

HSK Study Tips

Although 懑 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to emotions, which are important at HSK Level 3 and above. Students should focus on understanding emotional vocabulary and how to articulate feelings in Mandarin.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 懑 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu) for worry or sadness, leading to incorrect usage in emotional contexts. For example, saying '我感到忧' when feeling deep sadness instead of using 懑 would change the nuance.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 懑

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Etymology of 懑

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory hint

With a heavy 满 heart 心; 满 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 懑?

Decomposition of 懑

IDS Structure⿱满心
懑Full character
=
满Man3
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 懑?

How to say sad, sorrowful, sick at heart in Chinese

“sad, sorrowful, sick at heart” in Chinese is懑mèn

The character 懑 (mèn) conveys a deep sense of sadness or melancholy, often associated with feelings of sorrow or being sick at heart. It is used in contexts where emotional distress is expressed, highlighting the weight of one's feelings rather than a temporary state of sadness.

When to use 懑

Learners often confuse 懑 with other similar-sounding characters that express sadness, such as 悲 (bēi) or 惨 (cǎn). It's more formal and poetic, making it less common in everyday conversation. Use it in literary contexts or to convey deep emotional states.

懑 or something close to it

愁 (chóu) — use 懑 for deeper, more persistent sadness, while 愁 often refers to worry or anxiety.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 懑 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu) for worry or sadness, leading to incorrect usage in emotional contexts. For example, saying '我感到忧' when feeling deep sadness instead of using 懑 would change the nuance.

Write 懑

懑

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

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Grammar Patterns of 懑

懑 carries 2 distinct meanings. 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 2

Fill the gap

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

不管谁批评他,他都心生愤____。

He takes umbrage against anyone who criticises him.

Example Sentences for 懑 (1)

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1
不管谁批评他,他都心生愤懑。

bù guǎn shuí pī píng tā, , tā dū xīn shēng fèn。

He takes umbrage against anyone who criticises him.

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Word Family of 懑

Words containing this character2
愤懑depressed憤懣
懑mènmelancholy懣
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 懑

What does 愤懑 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 懑

No, 懑 is more often found in literary texts and is less common in casual speech.

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