Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 恼怒的 | nǎonù de |
| 憤怒的 / 愤怒的 | fènnù de |
| 生氣的 / 生气的 | shēngqì de |
These terms are used to describe someone displaying anger, though they vary in intensity. While 生氣的 / 生气的 is the most common and everyday way to describe being angry or upset, 憤怒的 / 愤怒的 emphasizes a much more intense, furious or formal state of rage. If you wish to convey a sense of being annoyed, irritated or vexed, 恼怒的 is often used. For expressions involving outrage or indignation, the term 气愤 is appropriate. For a more informal sense of feeling sulky or peeved, you can use 生闷气.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the level of emotion: 生氣的 / 生气的 is the standard, everyday term for being angry. 憤怒的 / 愤怒的 is used for much stronger, more intense or formal rage. And 恼怒的 implies a more nuanced feeling of being annoyed or vexed.
How does it change in a sentence?
Many of these terms function as verbs or stative adjectives. Instead of using a word for 'is', you use 很 (hěn) to express degree, such as 很生气 for 'very angry'. To indicate a change of state, meaning someone has become angry, you can add 了 (le) after the verb, as in 生气了 (got angry).
How do you pronounce it?
nǎonù de
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, an 'angry' person might be described as having 'fire' in their heart. To calm someone down, people may suggest eating 'cooling' foods to counteract the heat of the anger.
- The character 气 in 生气 is a pictograph that originally represented steam or clouds rising. It reflects the idea of anger as an invisible, rising force.
- The word 生气 literally translates to 'producing breath' or 'generating air'. In traditional Chinese medicine, anger is thought to disrupt the flow of 'qi' or vital energy in the body.
Examples in context
- 他对我的冷漠让我生气。(Tā duì wǒ de lěng mò ràng wǒ shēng qì)His indifference towards me made me angry.
- 她的无礼行为让我感到愤怒。(Tā de wú lǐ xíng wéi ràng wǒ gǎn dào fèn nù)Her rude behavior made me feel furious.
- 别再说话了，我真的生闷气了。(Bié zài shuō huà le, wǒ zhēn de shēng mèn qì le)Stop talking, I'm really sulking now.
- 他脸上带着恼怒的表情。Tā liǎn shàng dài zhe nǎonù de biǎoqíng.He had an angry expression on his face.
- 这种恼怒的语气很不礼貌。Zhè zhǒng nǎonù de yǔqì hěn bù lǐmào.This kind of angry tone is very impolite.
Example conversation
Zihan and Junjie are discussing a colleague's reaction.
- 梓涵 Zihan你觉得那个主管现在很恼怒的吗？Nǐ juédé nàgè zhǔguǎn xiànzài hěn nǎonù de ma?Do you think the supervisor is very angry right now?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，他刚才一直在皱眉头。Shì de, tā gāngcái yīzhí zài zhòu méitóu.Yes, he has been frowning this whole time.
- 梓涵 Zihan那我们先不要去打扰他。Nà wǒmen xiān bùyào qù dǎrǎo tā.Then let's not disturb him for now.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也这么想，等会儿再去。Wǒ yě zhème xiǎng, děng huìr zài qù.I think so too, we'll go later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “angry” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
