民愤 (mín fèn) — popular indignation, public anger (against someone or something)

Definition

Popular anger directed at a specific person, group, or decision (a verdict, policy, scandal). It implies organized public pressure for accountability, not just personal anger.

noun
popular indignationpublic anger (against someone or something)

Examples

  • 民愤。
    Tā de xíng wéi yǐn qǐ le mín fèn.
    His behavior aroused popular indignation.
  • 民愤。
    Zhèng fǔ bì xū huí yìng mín fèn.
    The government must respond to public anger.
  • 民愤。
    Zhè yàng de pàn jué zhī huì zēng jiā mín fèn.
    Such a verdict will only increase public indignation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

民mínpeople
愤fènanger

民 means the people and 愤 means anger, so anger felt by the public.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The early form of 民 shows an eye pierced by a sharp cross-shaped implement, possibly linked to an injured or unclear eye.

Open 民 →

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 憤; 愤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
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.

Open 愤 →

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