Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
无聊(無聊)wúliáo(wu2liao2)
无聊 (wú liáo) refers to a state of being bored or feeling that something is uninteresting or pointless. It can describe both a person's feelings and activities that lack engagement or excitement, commonly used in casual conversations.
Frequency#1498DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing boredom is often tied to social expectations; being busy is valued, and admitting to being bored can imply a lack of productivity or engagement.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person saying 'woo' while yawning, showing they're bored. The character 无 (wú) looks like a 'no' sign, indicating absence, while 聊 (liáo) can remind you of 'talk,' suggesting that without engaging talk, one feels bored.
Meanings of 无聊
wúliáo(wu2liao2)
1bored
2boring
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 无聊
无聊Simplified
無聊Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#1498Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 无聊
Podcast: 无聊
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 无聊
Quick Contrast
无趣 (wúqù) - use 无聊 when emphasizing personal feelings of boredom, while 无趣 focuses more on the lack of interest in an activity or thing.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person saying 'woo' while yawning, showing they're bored. The character 无 (wú) looks like a 'no' sign, indicating absence, while 聊 (liáo) can remind you of 'talk,' suggesting that without engaging talk, one feels bored.
Usage Notes
Be careful when using 无聊 in formal contexts, as it is typically informal. Common collocations include '无聊的事情' (boring things) and '无聊的生活' (boring life). Remember to use the correct tones to avoid confusion with other words.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 4 word, 无聊 connects well with other emotional descriptors and adjectives. Focus on using it in conversational contexts and pairing it with verbs like '觉得' (to feel) or '让' (to make) to express sentiments.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing boredom is often tied to social expectations; being busy is valued, and admitting to being bored can imply a lack of productivity or engagement.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 无聊 with 兴奋 (xīng fèn, excited) due to tonal similarities. For example, saying '我觉得无聊' (I feel excited) is incorrect; it should be '我觉得无聊' (I feel bored).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 无聊
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 无聊 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 无聊 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 无聊
无聊 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
他喋喋不休地说着某个____的电视连续剧。
He was carrying on about some stupid television series.
Example Sentences for 无聊 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他喋喋不休地说着某个无聊的电视连续剧。
tā dié dié bù xiū dì shuō zháo mǒu gè wú liáo de diàn shì lián xù jù。
He was carrying on about some stupid television series.
2
我觉得那些人物形象即使不说是乏味无聊，至少也是毫无深度。
wǒ jué dé nà xiē rén wù xíng xiàng jí shǐ bù shuō shì fá wèi wú liáo， ， zhì shǎo yě shì háo wú shēn。
I found the characters very two-dimensional, not to say dull.
The past few days have seemed comparatively flat and empty.
4
我不认为这是艺术。它简直无聊透顶，毫无品位。
wǒ bù rèn wéi zhè shì yì shù。 。 tā jiǎn zhí wú liáo tòu， dǐng ， háo wú。
I wouldn't call it art. It's just stupid and tasteless.
5
只有一名穿制服的无聊警卫可能偷听到了他们的谈话。
zhī yǒu yī míng chuān zhì fú de wú liáo jǐng wèi kě néng tōu tīng dào le tā mén de tán huà。
Only a uniformed guard stultified with boredom might have overheard them.
6
他在办公室闲荡了一会儿，感到百无聊赖。
tā zài bàn gōng shì xián dàng le yī huì ér， ， gǎn dào bǎi wú liáo。
He moped around the office for a while, feeling bored.
7
他为什么选了这么些脸色苍白、有气无力而又无聊乏味的人？
tā wéi shí mó xuǎn le zhè mó xiē liǎn sè cāng bái、 、 yǒu qì wú lì ér yòu wú liáo fá wèi de？
Why did he choose these pale, nerveless, uninteresting people?
8
那是一份按部就班、枯燥乏味的无聊差事。
nà shì yī fèn àn bù jiù bān、 、 kū zào fá wèi de wú liáo chà。
It was a methodical, unexciting chore.
9
那一日阴天下雨沉闷无聊。
nà yī rì yīn tiān xià yǔ chén mèn wú liáo。
It was a wet and gloomy day.
10
她无聊地扯着裙子上一根松掉的线头。
tā wú liáo dì chě zháo qún zǐ shàng yī gēn sōng diào de xiàn tóu。
She idly pulled at a loose thread on her skirt.
Cultural Notes for 无聊
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, expressing boredom is often tied to social expectations; being busy is valued, and admitting to being bored can imply a lack of productivity or engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions about 无聊
Yes, you can describe a person as 无聊 if they seem dull or uninteresting.
Primarily, yes, it conveys a sense of negativity, but in a light-hearted context, it can be used humorously.
A common synonym is '乏味' (fá wèi), which also means dull or uninteresting.
