麻烦

• Pinyin: má fan
• Hanzi breakdown: 麻 = 广 (shelter) + 林 (forest), originally related to hemp; 烦 = 火 (fire) + 页 (head), meaning vexed or annoyed

Meaning

To trouble; troublesome; annoying. Describes something that causes inconvenience or the act of asking someone for help.

As a verb, means 'to trouble' or 'to bother' someone, commonly used as a polite way to ask for help. As an adjective, describes something that is troublesome, complicated, or inconvenient. Very widely used in daily conversation. Can also function as a noun meaning 'trouble' or 'problem.'

Examples

1. 麻烦你帮我拿一下那本书。 Could you please pass me that book?
2. 这件事真麻烦，我不知道怎么办。 This matter is really troublesome; I don't know what to do.
3. 不好意思，给你添麻烦了。 I'm sorry for causing you trouble.

Usage Guide

Context: politeness, complaint, everyday

Tone: polite

Do Say

• 麻烦你开一下门。(Could you please open the door?)
• 这个手续太麻烦了。(This procedure is too troublesome.)

Don't Say

• 你很麻烦人。(Don't use 麻烦 directly as an adjective modifying a person this way — say 你总是麻烦别人 or 你这个人真让人头疼; 很麻烦人 sounds unnatural)

Origin & History

麻 (hemp, numb) + 烦 (vexed, annoyed). The original sense relates to the tedious process of working with hemp fibre, which was bothersome and irritating.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal