抱怨 bàoyuàn to complain
to complain; to grumble; to harbor a complaint; to feel dissatisfied
How to remember 抱怨: 抱 embrace + 怨 to blame = to complain.
Characters
How it is used
- To complain/grumble - 别老抱怨 (bié lǎo bàoyuàn) stop complaining all the time; 抱怨工作太累 complain the job is exhausting.
- Voicing dissatisfaction/griping, usually about circumstances or people. Distinguish from 投诉 (tóusù, to lodge a formal complaint with an authority) and 埋怨 (mányuàn, to blame/reproach someone).
- 抱 here means 'to harbor'; note it's bàoyuàn, not to be split as 'hug + resentment'.
Example sentences
- 没有理由抱怨。 Méiyǒu lǐyóu bàoyuàn.There is no cause for complaint.
- 我听够你的抱怨了。 Wǒ tīnggòu nǐ de bàoyuàn le.I've had enough of your complaints.
- 农民总是抱怨天气。 Nóngmín zǒngshì bàoyuàn tiānqì.Farmers always complain about the weather.