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March 24, 2026
煩fán(fan2)
The character 煩 (fán) refers to feelings of annoyance, trouble, or vexation. It is commonly used to describe situations or people that cause irritation or frustration, often in both personal and work contexts.
Strokes13Radical火Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing annoyance can be subtle; people often use 煩 to indicate that they're overwhelmed but may not overtly express anger. This reflects a cultural tendency to maintain harmony and avoid direct confrontation.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'fan' (sounds like fán) blowing dust around, making you feel annoyed and bothered. The character has a radical for fire (火) at the bottom, which can symbolize the heated emotions that come from being vexed.
Meanings of 煩
fán(fan2)
1to bother, to trouble, to vex
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 煩
煩Simplified
13Strokes
火Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 煩
Podcast: 煩
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AI Study Notes for 煩
Quick Contrast
煩 (fán) vs 烦 (fán) — use 煩 for a more formal or literary context, while 烦 is more colloquial.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a 'fan' (sounds like fán) blowing dust around, making you feel annoyed and bothered. The character has a radical for fire (火) at the bottom, which can symbolize the heated emotions that come from being vexed.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 煩 (fán) with other similar-sounding words like 繁 (fán), which means 'complex' or 'complicated.' This word is typically used in informal contexts. Common collocations include 煩心 (fán xīn) meaning 'to be worried' and 煩躁 (fán zào) meaning 'irritable.'
HSK Study Tips
While 煩 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary, it aligns with the emotional expressions found in HSK Level 3-4, particularly when discussing feelings. Learners should focus on context and emotional nuance in usage.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing annoyance can be subtle; people often use 煩 to indicate that they're overwhelmed but may not overtly express anger. This reflects a cultural tendency to maintain harmony and avoid direct confrontation.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 煩 with 繁 (fán), leading to sentences like '这个事情很繁' (zhè ge shì qing hěn fán), which is incorrect. The correct word would be '烦' to express annoyance, so it should be '这个事情让我很烦' (zhè ge shì qing ràng wǒ hěn fán).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 煩
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Cultural Notes for 煩
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, expressing annoyance can be subtle; people often use 煩 to indicate that they're overwhelmed but may not overtly express anger. This reflects a cultural tendency to maintain harmony and avoid direct confrontation.
Word Family of 煩
Words Containing This Character20
麻烦máfaninconvenient麻煩
烦fánto bother煩
烦恼fánnǎoto be worried煩惱
烦躁fánzàojittery煩躁
烦人to annoy煩人
心烦to feel agitated心煩
惹麻烦to create difficulties惹麻煩
厌烦yànfánbored厭煩
不耐烦búnàifánimpatience不耐煩
找麻烦to look for trouble找麻煩
心烦意乱lit. heart distracted, thoughts in turmoil (idiom); distraught with anxiety心煩意亂
添麻烦to inconvenience添麻煩
不厌其烦to take great pains不厭其煩
自找麻烦to ask for trouble自找麻煩
烦闷fánmènmoody煩悶
烦琐tedious煩瑣
烦扰to bother煩擾
自寻烦恼to bring trouble on oneself (idiom)自尋煩惱
烦忧to worry煩憂
烦乱anxious煩亂
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 麻烦 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 煩
You can say '我很煩' (wǒ hěn fán) which means 'I am very bothered'.
Synonyms include 烦恼 (fán nǎo) which means 'troubles' and 烦闷 (fán mèn) which means 'depressed or vexed'.
It is mainly used in informal contexts and might not be suitable for formal writing or speeches.
