悱
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: to want to articulate one's thoughts but be unable to
💡 Think 'fray' (fěi) like frayed nerves that tangle your tongue.
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
In a Beijing teahouse, a young writer struggles to express her gratitude to an old mentor, her lips moving but words failing—this is the essence of 悱 (fěi), a character describing the frustration of having thoughts that cannot be articulated. It appears in classical texts like the Analects, where Confucius says '不悱不发' (do not enlighten one who is not struggling to speak). Though uncommon in modern Chinese, 悱 remains a precise word for that moment when emotion overwhelms language.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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