闷 (mèn) — (adjective) bored, depressed, melancholy; (adjective) sealed, airtight, tightly closed; (verb) to close tightly, to seal up
Definition
闷 covers two senses: feeling bored/depressed (more shut-in gloom than 无聊's simple boredom) and physically sealed/airtight (a state rather than 密封 the verb 'to seal up'). Tone is heavier and gloomier than 无聊.
adjective
boreddepressedmelancholysealedairtighttightly closed
verb
to close tightlyto seal up
Examples
- 闷，。Tā zuì jìn xīn qíng hěn mèn, zǒng shì yí gè rén fā dāi.He's been feeling depressed lately, always spacing out alone.
- 闷，。Zhè ge mì fēng dài shì mèn de, kōng qì jìn bú qù.This sealing bag is airtight; air can't get in.
- 闷，。Tā bǎ gài zi mèn shàng le, fáng zhǐ lòu qì.He sealed the lid tightly to prevent air leakage.
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 悶; 闷 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén悶mēn
Same sound today
The traditional form 悶 has 門 as a sound part and 心 as a meaning part; the simplified 闷 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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