(bào yuàn) - to complain, to grumble in Mandarin
bàoyuànTraditional: 抱怨
Translation
to complain, to grumble
Word origin
A compound of 抱 (bào, to hold in the arms) and 怨 (yuàn, resentment), so to carry a grievance about with you.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 抱 (bào, to hold) + 怨 (yuàn, resentment)
Stroke order
抱
怨
Examples
。
He complains all day long.
。
Stop complaining about the weather.
。
She never complains that the work is too tiring.
。
Complaining does not solve the problem.
。
I heard someone grumbling under their breath.
抱怨 (bào yuàn) is the everyday word for moaning: grumbling about the weather, the boss, the queue. It is mildly negative about the speaker as well as the subject, so calling someone 爱抱怨 is not a compliment.
It takes a clause directly, with no preposition: 他抱怨工资太低, he complains that the pay is too low. English speakers reliably insert a stray 关于 here, on the model of "complain about". Do not. If you must name the target with a preposition, 对 works for the person you complain to, as in 她对经理抱怨.
Keep it apart from 投诉, which is the formal act of lodging a complaint with a shop or an airline. 抱怨 is what you do to your friends; 投诉 is what you do on a form.
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抱怨: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "抱怨" (to complain, to grumble): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 47.