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烦 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
烦fánto feel vexedHSK 4, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #1519, Medium
烦fánto botherHSK 4, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #1519, Medium
烦fánto troubleHSK 4, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #1519, Medium
烦fánsuperfluous and confusingHSK 4, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #1519, Medium
烦fánedgyHSK 4, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #1519, Medium
烦fánto bother, to trouble, to vexHSK 4, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #1519, Medium
fán(fan2) T2
  1. 1to feel vexed
  2. 2to bother
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
烦(煩)fán(fan2)

The character 烦 (fán) means to feel vexed or troubled, typically due to something that is bothersome or annoying. It is commonly used in contexts where someone expresses irritation or frustration, whether from a situation or another person. The nuance suggests a level of emotional disturbance that is often persistent or nagging.

Strokes10Radical火Frequency#1519DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing feelings of vexation or annoyance is often done indirectly or with humor, reflecting a cultural preference for maintaining harmony. The word 烦 may come up in conversations about work stress or social obligations.

Memory Tip

Imagine a pot of boiling water (the radical 火 means fire) that is too full, causing it to overflow and make a mess. This overflowing water symbolizes the feeling of being troubled or vexed by too many worries, connecting the character's form and meaning. The sound 'fán' can remind you of 'fan' which sounds similar to 'vex' when you are a fan of something but it troubles you.

Meanings of 烦

fán(fan2)
1to feel vexed
2to bother
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 烦

烦Simplified
煩Traditional
10Strokes
火Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#1519Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 烦

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Podcast: 烦

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AI Study Notes for 烦

Quick Contrast

烦 (fán) vs 恼 (nǎo) — choose 烦 for a more general feeling of vexation, while 恼 emphasizes anger or irritation.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a pot of boiling water (the radical 火 means fire) that is too full, causing it to overflow and make a mess. This overflowing water symbolizes the feeling of being troubled or vexed by too many worries, connecting the character's form and meaning. The sound 'fán' can remind you of 'fan' which sounds similar to 'vex' when you are a fan of something but it troubles you.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 烦 (fán) with similar-sounding words like 反 (fǎn), which means to reverse or oppose. It is typically used in informal contexts, and common collocations include 烦恼 (fánnǎo, vexation) and 烦人 (fán rén, annoying person). Be cautious with the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning completely.

HSK Study Tips

While 烦 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary list, it is relevant for learners at HSK 3 and above when discussing emotions or feelings. Students should focus on pronunciation and usage in context, particularly in phrases that indicate annoyance or frustration.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing feelings of vexation or annoyance is often done indirectly or with humor, reflecting a cultural preference for maintaining harmony. The word 烦 may come up in conversations about work stress or social obligations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 烦 by placing it in overly formal contexts, like writing a business email, where it would be inappropriate. For example, saying '我对这个项目很烦' (wǒ duì zhège xiàngmù hěn fán) in formal settings would be awkward; instead, use more neutral expressions.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 烦

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Etymology of 烦

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

Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 页 represents the sound. Simplified form of 煩.

Memory Hint

fire

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 烦?

Decomposition of 烦

IDS Structure⿰火页
烦Full Character
=
火Huo3
left
页ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 烦?

Write 烦

烦

Practice writing 烦 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 烦

烦 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 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.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

搬家又累又麻____，我真不想搬。

Moving house is both tiring and troublesome — I really do not want to move.

Common Confusions with 烦

烦 and 恼 both indicate feelings of annoyance, but 烦 is more about being bothered while 恼 implies a stronger emotional reaction.

1

我很烦。 (I am very vexed.) vs. 我感到恼火。 (I feel furious.)

烦 and 恼 both indicate feelings of annoyance, but 烦 is more about being bothered while 恼 implies a stronger emotional reaction.

💡Remember that 烦 is like 'fawn' which is a milder annoyance compared to the stronger 'annoy' in 恼.

Usage Notes for 烦

Misuse in contextCommon Error

Learners often use 烦 when they mean to express annoyance in a lighter context, where a word like 恼 would be more appropriate.

1

我对这件事感到烦。

I feel vexed about this matter.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

我对这件事感到____。

I feel vexed about this matter.

Example Sentences for 烦 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
手上起的水泡让我心烦。

shǒu shàng qǐ de shuǐ pào ràng wǒ xīn fán。

I was bothered about the blister on my hand.
2
“我告诉过你普雷斯克毫不知情的，”肯普颇为不耐烦地说道。

“ “ wǒ gào sù guò nǐ pǔ léi sī kè háo bù zhī qíng，” de ，” kěn pǔ pō wéi bù nài fán dì。

"I told you Preskel had no idea," remarked Kemp with some asperity.
3
不要让工作中的一点烦心事打击了你的雄心抱负。

bù yào ràng gōng zuò zhōng de yī diǎn fán xīn shì dǎ jī le nǐ de xióng xīn bào fù。

Don't allow a minor irritation in the workplace to mar your ambitions.
4
“利奥，我妈妈觉得我不应该再在这儿麻烦你了，”格雷丝说。

“ “ lì， ào ， wǒ mā mā jué dé wǒ bù yīng gāi zài zài zhè ér má fán，” nǐ le ，” gé。

"Mum thinks I should stop imposing on your hospitality, Leo," said Grace.
5
我可不是开玩笑,事情够麻烦的了.

wǒ kě bù shì kāi wán xiào, , shì qíng gòu má fán de.

I'm serious, things are difficult enough as they are.
6
我不明白他为何用这种烂事来烦我。

wǒ bù míng bái tā wéi hé yòng zhè zhǒng làn shì lái fán wǒ。

I don't know why he bothers me with this kind of rubbish.
7
无论在哪个领域，过分痴迷者都会跟他们的癖好一样令人厌烦。

wú lùn zài nǎ gè lǐng yù， ， guò fēn chī mí zhě dū huì gēn tā mén de pǐ hǎo yī yàng líng rén yàn。

Obsessives, in any area, are invariably as boring as their hobbies.
8
无论出现什么样的麻烦，我们都会在貌似混乱的情形中保持平和的心态。

wú lùn chū xiàn shí mó yàng de má fán， ， wǒ mén dū huì zài mào sì hùn luàn de qíng xíng zhōng bǎo chí píng hé de xīn。

Whatever troubles arise, we'll have peace of mind amidst seeming chaos.
9
有什么烦心事吗？我的意思是，除了这件事以外还有吗？

yǒu shí mó fán xīn shì ma？ ？ wǒ de yì sī， shì ， chú le zhè jiàn shì yǐ wài huán？

Is something upsetting you—I mean, apart from this business?
10
人们说，如果我们再不积极行动起来，我们就会有麻烦。

rén mén shuō， ， rú guǒ wǒ mén zài bù jī jí háng dòng qǐ， lái ， wǒ mén jiù huì yǒu。

People are saying if we don't buck up we'll be in trouble.

Cultural Notes for 烦

💡Did you know?

In Chinese culture, feeling '烦' (vexed) is common due to high expectations in work and family life. It's important to find balance and relaxation methods to cope with these feelings.

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, expressing feelings of vexation or annoyance is often done indirectly or with humor, reflecting a cultural preference for maintaining harmony. The word 烦 may come up in conversations about work stress or social obligations.

Word Family of 烦

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 烦

Some synonyms for 烦 (fán) include 烦恼 (fánnǎo), which means worry or distress, and 麻烦 (máfan), which means trouble or inconvenience. Both words convey a sense of annoyance or difficulty in various contexts.