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埋怨 (mán yuàn) — to complain (about something); to blame (someone for something)

Definition

埋怨 is a casual complaint with a sense of resentment or self-pity — softer than 责怪 (blame/rebuke), which targets someone as wrong. Use it when airing discontent, often about fate or circumstances.

verb
to complain (about something)to blame (someone for something)

Examples

  • 埋怨。
    Tā zǒng mán yuàn zì jǐ yùn qì bù hǎo.
    He always complains that his luck is bad.
  • 埋怨，。
    Bié mán yuàn bié rén le, xiān xiǎng xiǎng zì jǐ yǒu méi yǒu cuò.
    Stop blaming others; first think about whether you yourself made a mistake.
  • 埋怨。
    Tā yīn wèi tiān qì bù hǎo ér mán yuàn gè bù tíng.
    She kept complaining nonstop because of the bad weather.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

埋máiblame
怨yuànblame

埋 and 怨 both carry the sense of blaming, giving a complaint.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎoplant
Sound part声符shēngfú
貍
貍lí埋mái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An earlier form paired 艹 (plant) with 貍 (lí) for sound. The form 埋 later shows earth with a sound part.

Open 埋 →

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
夗
夗wǎn怨yuàn
Same sound today

怨 has 心 (heart) below and 夗 above as a sound part; the heart part shows the meaning concerns feelings.

Open 怨 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Communication & SpeechEmotions & Feelings

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