How do you say "impatient" in Chinese?

不耐烦

bù nài fán

Adjective Hanzi

In Chinese, "impatient" is 不耐烦 (bù nài fán).

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Pronunciation

When you say bù nài fán, lead with "bù" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "nài" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "fán" pushed upward like a question (second tone).

Writing and usage

不耐烦 is written using hanzi. It's a adjective, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

他在长长的队伍中变得不耐烦。

tā zài cháng cháng de duì wǔ zhōng biàn dé bù nài fán 。

He grew impatient in the long queue.

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How to remember 不耐烦

Link the syllable "boo neye fahn" to a quick mental flash of impatient, and "bù nài fán" will stick as impatient.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 不耐烦

How do you pronounce 不耐烦?

When you say bù nài fán, lead with "bù" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "nài" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "fán" pushed upward like a question (second tone).

Is 不耐烦 formal or casual?

不耐烦 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 不耐烦 used in Chinese?

不耐烦 is used the same way as the equivalent English adjective. For example: 他在长长的队伍中变得不耐烦。 (He grew impatient in the long queue.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Impatient" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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