phiền
[fiən˨˩]
The English word "annoying" is translated into Vietnamese as phiền.
phiền is used to describe something that causes irritation or annoyance. However, it is also frequently used as a verb or adjective meaning "to bother" or "to trouble" someone, such as in the phrase xin làm phiền (may I bother you/excuse me).
Meaning: causing irritation or annoyance (adj)
Which one should you use?
While phiền is the basic term for annoying or bothersome, the compound form phiền phức is often used in more formal or descriptive contexts to describe a situation or a complex matter that is annoying or troublesome. In colloquial speech, you may hear phiền quá to express frustration, which translates to "so annoying" or "too annoying".
Did you know?
- Despite being related to the word 'annoying', the word phiền is actually a 'doublet' of the common Vietnamese word buồn, which means 'sad'.
- The word phiền is often used in formal written invitations to express that the speaker is 'troubling' the recipient by requesting their presence.
- When someone says phiền in a relationship context, it can imply a feeling of being emotionally burdened by the other person.
Examples in context
- Phiền quá… Hễ khi nào dùng máy tính, tôi lại đau đầu.So annoying… Now I get a headache whenever I use the computer!The first sentence shows how to express frustration using phiền.Tatoeba #13870179 by leucammieuvu, translation #1687 by fcbond
- Tôi lo ngại là, bởi vì những dòng tiếng Nhật ở trang này được viết với furigana, chúng chiếm rất nhiều khoảng trống, và mọi người không quan tâm rằng chúng ở vị trí đầu sẽ thấy rất phiền phức.I worry that, because the Japanese lines in this site are written with furigana, they take up a lot of space, and the people who don't even care about them in the first place might find them annoying.The second sentence uses phiền to describe something people might find annoying.Tatoeba #1542029 by Aomori, translation #1487833 by marshmallowcat
- Anh ta đã gây khó chịu cho tôi bằng cách nói xấu tôiHe annoyed me by speaking ill of me
- Tôi cảm thấy bị anh ta làm phiềnI feel annoyed by him
- Người ta thường dùng câu ca dao để đá xéo mìnhPeople often use proverbs to annoy me sarcastically
- Tiếng ồn này thật phiền.This noise is so annoying.
Example conversation
Lan and Tuấn are studying together in a library.
- LanTuấn, đừng bấm bút nữa, phiền quá!Tuấn, stop clicking your pen, it's so annoying!
- TuấnXin lỗi Lan, mình không để ý.Sorry Lan, I didn't notice.
- LanMình không thể tập trung được.I can't concentrate.
- TuấnĐược rồi, mình sẽ dừng lại ngay.Okay, I will stop right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “annoying” translations and entries phiền, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries phiền, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
