闹腾 (nào téng) — to disturb, to create a disturbance or confusion; to make noise and have fun, to be boisterous; (stative verb) noisy, chaotic, bustling

Definition

Colloquial adjective and verb for noisy, boisterous activity — describes both the action of making a racket and the resulting chaotic state. More vivid and casual than the neutral 吵 (chǎo), which simply means 'noisy'.

to disturb, to create a disturbance or confusionto make noise and have funto be boisterous(stative verb) noisychaoticbustling

Examples

  • 闹腾，。
    Bié zài zhè lǐ nào téng, dà jiā dōu zài xué xí.
    Don't make a disturbance here; everyone is studying.
  • 闹腾。
    Hái zi men zài yuàn zi lǐ nào téng le yí xià wǔ.
    The children were making a racket in the yard all afternoon.
  • 闹腾，。
    Zhè ge shì chǎng tài nào téng le, wǒ shòu bù liǎo.
    This market is too noisy and chaotic; I can't stand it.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鬧; 闹 is its simplified writing.

  • 鬥鬥dòuto fight
  • 市市shìmarket; town

The traditional form 鬧 combines 鬥 (to fight) and 市 (market; town) to mean noisy.

Open 闹 →

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 騰; 腾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
朕
朕zhèn騰téng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 騰 pairs 馬 (horse) with 朕 as a sound part; it described a horse's gallop or prance. The simplified 腾 is a later shorthand.

Open 腾 →

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