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找麻烦 (zhǎo má fan) — to look for trouble (for oneself); to cause trouble for someone, to pick on someone

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to look for / cause trouble' — directed either at yourself (自找麻烦) or at someone else (找你麻烦). Often used as a warning: 别找我麻烦 ('don't pick on me').

verb
to look for trouble (for oneself)to cause trouble for someoneto pick on someone

Examples

  • 找麻烦，。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan zì jǐ zhǎo má fan, méi rén lǐ tā.
    He always likes to look for trouble for himself; no one pays him any attention.
  • ，。
    Nǐ bié zhǎo wǒ má fan, wǒ kě méi rě nǐ.
    Don't pick on me; I didn't provoke you.
  • ，找麻烦。
    Zhè jiàn shì yǐ jīng chǔ lǐ hǎo le, bié zài zhǎo má fan le.
    This matter has been handled; don't cause any more trouble.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

找zhǎoseek
麻烦trouble
麻mátroublesome烦fánannoyed
联合Coordinate

找 means seek and 麻烦 means trouble, so the word means to seek trouble.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
戈
戈gē找zhǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

找 pairs 扌 (hand) with 戈 as a sound part. The idea that it shows a hand looking for a halberd is only a memory trick.

Open 找 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

麻 combines 厂 and 𣏟 to represent hemp leaves.

Open 麻 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 煩; 烦 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 煩, the shape is made from 火 (fire) and 頁 (head).

Open 烦 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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