Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 惱火 / 恼火 | nǎohuǒ |
| 討厭 / 讨厌 | tǎoyàn |
| 厭煩 / 厌烦 | yànfán |
惱火 describes the feeling of being irritated by something unwanted, such as a delay or a careless remark.
What does it mean word for word?
惱火 ends in 火 (huǒ), meaning fire, which pictures irritation rising like heat.
Which one should you use?
討厭 / 讨厌 (tǎoyàn) is more often used for something or someone that is disagreeable or annoying by nature. 厭煩 / 厌烦 (yànfán) fits annoyance that comes from boredom, repetition or being fed up with a tedious situation.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a state, these adjectives usually take 很 (hěn), meaning very, in front of them, as in 很惱火.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is nǎohuǒ, with a dipping tone on both syllables. In connected speech the first syllable rises, since two dipping tones in a row turn the first into a rising tone.
When do people say it?
Said playfully, 討厭! can mean you are so annoying or stop it, when someone is teasing you.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the feeling of being annoyed is often treated as a physical ailment called 'upper fire' (上火), which is believed to cause symptoms like mouth ulcers or sore throats.
- The word 煩 (fán) is so central to the feeling of annoyance that it describes both the irritation of a person and the oppressive, humid heat of a summer day.
- While 討厭 means 'annoying', it is frequently used as a flirtatious term of endearment between couples in Mandopop songs and romantic dramas to mean 'you are such a tease'.
Examples in context
- 他的态度让我很生气。His attitude makes me very annoyed.
- 她对这个结果感到不悦。She felt annoyed by this outcome.
- 别再打扰我了，我很烦。Stop bothering me, I'm annoyed.
- 我被他的无礼搞得很气。I'm annoyed by his rudeness.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “annoyed” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
