忍气吞声 (rěn qì tūn shēng) — to swallow one's anger and submit to humiliation; to endure insults without protest

Definition

Chengyu meaning to swallow anger and silently endure humiliation. It describes a passive, submissive reaction to unfair treatment — not just being quiet, but holding back real resentment out of fear or helplessness.

idiom
to swallow one's anger and submit to humiliationto endure insults without protest

Examples

  • 忍气吞声,。
    Zài gōng zuò zhōng tā jīng cháng rěn qì tūn shēng, bù gǎn biǎo dá zì jǐ de yì jiàn.
    At work he often swallows his anger and dares not express his own opinions.
  • ,忍气吞声,。
    Wèi le jiā tíng hé mù, tā zǒng shì xuǎn zé rěn qì tūn shēng, cóng bù zhēng chǎo.
    For the sake of family harmony, she always chooses to swallow her pride and never argues.
  • 忍气吞声。
    Tā rěn qì tūn shēng dì jiē shòu le gōng sī de bù gōng píng dài yù.
    He silently endured the unfair treatment from the company.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

忍气endure anger
忍rěnendure气qìanger
动宾Verb + object
吞声swallow voice
吞tūnswallow声shēngvoice
动宾Verb + object

"忍气" means enduring anger, and "吞声" means swallowing one's voice in silence.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
刃
刃rèn忍rěn
Same sound today

忍 combines 心 (heart) and 刃 (blade). The 刃 part provides the sound, and the 心 part is the heart.

Open 忍 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 吞 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

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