不耐烦

• Pinyin: bù nài fán
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 (not) + 耐 (endure) + 烦 (annoyed, troubled)

Meaning

Impatient; losing patience. A state of being annoyed or frustrated by waiting or delays.

Describes the feeling or behavior of someone who cannot wait patiently. Can be used as an adjective or verb-object structure. Common patterns: 显得不耐烦 (appear impatient), 变得不耐烦 (become impatient), 不耐烦地 (impatiently).

Examples

1. 等了半小时后，他开始变得不耐烦了。 After waiting for half an hour, he started to become impatient.
2. 顾客不耐烦地敲着桌子催促服务员。 The customer impatiently tapped the table to urge the waiter.
3. 妈妈不耐烦地打断了我的解释。 Mom impatiently interrupted my explanation.

Usage Guide

Context: emotions, daily life, description

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 别不耐烦，再等一下。(Don't be impatient, wait a bit more.)
• 我能看出他有点不耐烦。(I can tell he's a bit impatient.)

Don't Say

• 在正式场合直接说对方'不耐烦'——这可能显得不礼貌，可以用婉转的说法 (In formal situations, avoid directly saying someone is 不耐烦 — it may seem rude; use more tactful expressions)

Origin & History

Compound of 不 (not) + 耐烦 (able to endure annoyance/trouble), meaning unable to tolerate waiting.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal