愤 (fèn) — (bound form) anger; indignant
Definition
愤 (fèn) is a bound morpheme meaning 'indignation, resentment' — used almost only in set phrases like 愤怒, 气愤, and 愤恨. It is more literary than plain 生气, and usually builds a two-character word rather than standing alone.
bound form
angerindignant
Examples
- 。Tā duì zhè zhǒng bù gōng píng de xiàn xiàng gǎn dào fēi cháng fèn nù.He feels very angry about this unfair phenomenon.
- ，。Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā gǎn dào fēi cháng qì fèn.Upon hearing this news, he felt very indignant.
- 。Tā de fèn hèn zhī qíng nán yǐ píng xī.His resentment is hard to calm down.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 憤; 愤 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
賁
賁bì憤fèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 憤 pairs 忄 (heart) with 賁, which gives the sound; the simplified 愤 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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