Chinese word

不耐烦

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù nài fán

Meaning

  • adjectiveimpatient

Example

等待太久，客人对服务员变得不耐烦。děng dài tài jiǔ kè rén duì fú wù yuán biàn de bú nài fán

After waiting too long, the guests became impatient with the server.

Illustration for 不耐烦 (impatient)

More examples

会议上他对重复的问题显得不耐烦。huì yì shàng tā duì chóng fù de wèn tí xiǎn de bú nài fán

At the meeting, he seemed impatient with repeated questions.

Core concept

Patience wears thin as waiting or obstacles continue, and the strain becomes visible in a person's words, face, or manner.

Common phrases

  • 对别人不耐烦duì bié rén bú nài fán

    impatient with others

  • 变得不耐烦biàn de bú nài fán

    become impatient

  • 有点不耐烦yóu diǎn bú nài fán

    a little impatient

Similar words

不耐心bú nài xīn: Having too little patience to keep trying, with a tendency to give up or get angry.
焦急jiāo jí: Feeling pressed for a fast result and unable to settle while waiting for it.
焦虑jiāo lǜ: Being deeply worried about what may happen and unable to feel at ease.
急躁jí zào: Reacting quickly and angrily, with little calm thought or self-control.

Definition in Chinese

因等待、遇到阻碍或事情反复而失去耐心，感到烦躁或不满，并可能在表情或言语中表现出来。yīn děng dài yù dào zǔ ài huò shì qíng fǎn fù ér shī qù nài xīn gǎn dào fán zào huò bù mǎn bìng kě néng zài biǎo qíng huò yán yǔ zhōng biǎo xiàn chū lái

Word origin

不耐烦 (bùnàifán, "impatient") is formed from 不 (bù, "not") plus 耐烦 (nàifán, "able to bear annoyance"), presenting a person as unable to keep tolerating a bothersome situation.

Usage tips

  • When the feeling has a target, Chinese can mark it with 对 (duì, "toward"), which makes clear whether the impatience concerns a person, task, or delay.

Other meanings

  • irritableadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word