我生气了
wǒ shēng qì le
In Chinese, 'I am angry' is expressed as 我生气了 (wǒ shēng qì le).
The phrase is used to express that one is feeling annoyed or resentful.
What does it mean word for word?
The core term for being angry is 生气 (shēng qì), which literally translates to 'to generate/produce breath/air'.
Which one should you use?
While 我生气了 (wǒ shēng qì le) describes a state of being angry, the phrase 我很生气 (wǒ hěn shēng qì) emphasizes the intensity of the anger (I am very angry).
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 了 (le) at the end of the phrase indicates a change of state, implying that the speaker was not angry before but has now become angry.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ shēng qì le
Did you know?
- If someone says 生气 with a playful tone or a smile, it is often a flirtatious way of saying 'I am pretending to be mad'. It is frequently used between romantic partners to invite a little extra attention.
- To describe a person who is chronically angry or short-tempered, one might use the term 脾气 (pí qi), which literally translates to 'spleen temper'.
- If you want to say someone is 'really mad' in a more intense or aggressive way, you might use 发火 (fā huǒ), which literally means to 'emit fire'.
Examples in context
- 对不起，我真的火了！(Duìbuqǐ, wǒ zhēn de huǒ le!)I'm sorry, I am really angry!
- 对不起，我感到很愤怒，但是时间真的不够。(Duìbuqǐ, wǒ gǎndào hěn fènnù, dànshì shíjiān zhēn de bùgòu.)I am sorry, I am very angry, but there really isn't enough time.
- 因为他迟到了，我生气了。Yīnwèi tā chídào le, wǒ shēngqì le.Because he was late, I am angry.
Example conversation
A couple is having a small argument at home.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你为什么还在不理我？Nǐ wèishéme hái zài bù lǐ wǒ?Why are you still ignoring me?
- 俊杰 Junjie因为你刚才对我很没礼貌，我生气了。Yīnwèi nǐ gāngcái duì wǒ hěn méi lǐmào, wǒ shēngqì le.Because you were very rude to me just now, I am angry.
- 佳怡 Jiayi对不起，我不是故意的。Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bùshì gùyì de.I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose.
- 俊杰 Junjie别道歉了，我还没消气。Bié dàoqiàn le, wǒ hái méi xiāoqì.Don't apologize, I'm still upset.
