Getting angry in Chinese?
Learn “anger” (發怒)
How do you tell people you’re angry in Chinese?
The word for “getting angry” in Chinese is 生氣 (shēngqì; this is more commonly used) or 發怒 (fānù; this is more literary, and more intense)
Let’s break it down:
生氣 (shēngqì) is made of…
- 生 (shēng): This character means “to be born,” “to grow,” or “to live.” It refers to the beginning or existence of something and can also imply rising emotions or states.
- 氣 (qì): This character means “air,” “gas,” or “spirit,” or in this case, mood or temperament. This character is made of the “气” radical on the top, indicating steam or gas, and “米” (mǐ, meaning “rice”) as the bottom part, maybe suggesting food, which keeps people alive when they eat it, and now you have the concept of “vital energy or spirit.”
And 發怒 (fānù) is made of…
- 發 (fā): This character has multiple meanings, including “to issue,” “to dispatch,” “to develop,” or “to express.” It’s composed of “癶” (bō) on top, which is associated with motion or action, and “弓” (gōng, meaning “bow,” as in bow and arrow) on the below left.
- 怒 (nù): This character means “anger” or “rage.” It features the “心” (xīn) radical at the bottom, which relates to the heart or mind, indicating that the term pertains to emotions.
Then the top of the character is 奴 (nú, meaning “slave”) which provides the phonetic component. But it also makes sense as a meaning component. People who get overtly angry often become slaves to their emotions, after all…
Here’s a couple sample sentences for each word:
不要生氣嘛!
Bùyào shēngqì ma!
Don’t be mad! ← Very useful for calming people down, especially if you use a sweet tone. The “ma” at the end adds a coaxing feel to the sentence. You can also leave it off for a more straightforward attitude.
老師不發怒。
Lǎoshī bù fā nù.
The teacher doesn’t get angry.
And there you have it! How to say “angry” in the more casual and more fancy-schmancy way.
Enjoy ~
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