麻 má — (to have) pins and needles; tingling; hemp; numb; to bother
这道菜又麻又辣，很有特色。Zhè dào cài yòu má yòu là, hěn yǒu tè sè.This dish is numbing and spicy, very distinctive.
Common words: 麻烦 (má fan)、麻醉 (má zuì)、麻痹 (má bì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to bother"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to bother", including 麻 (má), 烦 (fán), 缠 (chán). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to bother" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 麻 (má), 烦 (fán), 缠 (chán) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span má, fán, chán — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 麻 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 麻 má(to have) pins and needles; tingling; hemp; numb; to botherUseful words: 麻烦, 麻醉
- 烦 fánfeel vexed; to botherUseful words: 麻烦, 烦恼
- 缠 chánto bother; wind around; wrap round; coil; involve; annoyUseful words: 缠绕, 纠缠
Common words for these 3 "to bother" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 麻 (má) — so "to bother" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
麻烦má fantrouble; inconvenience; inconvenient; troublesome麻醉má zuìanesthesia; to anesthetize; (fig.) to corrupt (sb's mind); to enervate麻痹má bìparalysis; palsy; numbness; to benumb麻烦má fantrouble; inconvenience; inconvenient; troublesome烦恼fán nǎoto be worried; to be distressed; worries不耐烦bù nài fánimpatient; to lose patience缠绕chán ràotwisting; to twine; to wind; to pester纠缠jiū chánto be in a tangle; to nag缠手chán shǒutroublesome; hard to deal with
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "to bother".
烦 fán — feel vexed; to bother
这件事让他感到很烦恼。Zhè jiàn shì ràng tā gǎn dào hěn fán nǎo.This matter makes him very troubled.
Common words: 麻烦 (má fan)、烦恼 (fán nǎo)、不耐烦 (bù nài fán)
缠 chán — to bother; wind around; wrap round; coil; involve; annoy
风筝线缠在了树枝上，怎么也解不开。Fēng zheng xiàn chán zài le shù zhī shàng, zěn me yě jiě bu kāi.The kite string got tangled in the branches and could not be undone.
Common words: 缠绕 (chán rào)、纠缠 (jiū chán)、缠手 (chán shǒu)
All 3 characters
Open 麻、烦、缠 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.