烦

• Pinyin: fán
• Hanzi breakdown: 烦 = 火 (fire) + 页 (head) — fire in the head, representing irritation

Meaning

Annoyed; vexed; to be fed up with. Describes a feeling of irritation or being troubled by something.

Used both as an adjective (feeling annoyed) and as a verb (to find something annoying or bothersome). Frequently appears in compounds like 烦恼 (worried/troubled), 麻烦 (trouble/troublesome), and 心烦 (vexed). Very common in spoken Chinese to express frustration.

Examples

1. 别烦我，我正在写作业呢。 Don't bother me, I'm doing my homework.
2. 最近工作太多了，我觉得很烦。 There's been too much work lately, I feel really annoyed.
3. 这件事真让人心烦。 This matter is really vexing.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, emotional expression

Tone: frustrated

Do Say

• 我好烦啊，考试又没考好。(I'm so annoyed — I did badly on the exam again.)
• 你别烦他了，让他安静一会儿。(Stop bothering him, let him have some quiet.)

Don't Say

• 这个饭很烦 (Don't use 烦 to describe food — 烦 is for emotional states, not flavors or textures)

Origin & History

Originally written with the fire radical 火 and 页 (head), suggesting heat in the head — the physical sensation of irritation and frustration.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal