不满 bùmǎn dissatisfied
dissatisfied; discontented; resentful; (before a number) to be less than
How to remember 不满: 不 not + 满 full = dissatisfied.
Characters
How it is used
- 不满 (bùmǎn) means dissatisfied or resentful, usually as a predicate or noun: 大家对这个决定很不满 (dàjiā duì zhège juédìng hěn bùmǎn) - everyone is unhappy about this decision.
- It's stronger and more formal than 不高兴 (bù gāoxìng, simply unhappy); 不满 implies grievance or disapproval, often used with 对…不满 (dissatisfied with).
- A separate, formal usage appears before numbers meaning 'less than/under': 不满十八岁 (bùmǎn shíbā suì) - under 18 years old - common in legal or age-restriction contexts.
- As a noun it takes 表示: 表示不满 (biǎoshì bùmǎn) - to express dissatisfaction.
Example sentences
- 他对结果不满意。 Tā duì jiéguǒ bù mǎnyì.He is unsatisfied with the result.
- 你并不满意,对吧? Nǐ bìng bù mǎnyì, duì ba?You're not satisfied, are you?
- 尽管他很富有,他还是不满足。 Jǐnguǎn tā hěn fùyǒu, tā háishì bù mǎnzú.Despite his riches, he's not contented.