触怒 (chù nù) — to enrage, to infuriate

Definition

verb

to enrageto infuriate

触怒。
Tā de huà chù nù le zài chǎng de suǒ yǒu rén.
His words enraged everyone present.
触怒。
Bú yào qīng yì chù nù nǐ de shàng si.
Don't easily enrage your boss.
触怒。
Zhè zhǒng bù gōng píng de dài yù chù nù le tā.
This unfair treatment infuriated him.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

触 means to touch or provoke, and 怒 means to become angry, so the word describes provoking someone into anger.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 觸; 触 is its simplified writing.

角蜀觸

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

蜀

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 觸 uses 角 for the meaning and 蜀 for the sound; the simplified 触 is a later shorthand.

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

心奴怒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

奴

Same sound today

怒 pairs 心 (heart) with 奴, which is used for its sound rather than its meaning of slave.

Appears in