怨 from HSK Level 5 Vocabulary List

The Chinese character 怨 (yuàn) is composed of two parts: 夗 (yǎn) and 心 (xīn). 夗 is a pictograph of a person kneeling with their hands raised in supplication, while 心 represents the heart. Together, they convey the idea of a person feeling resentment or grievance.The earliest known use of 怨 dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE), where it was used in oracle bone inscriptions. In these inscriptions, 怨 was often used in the context of prayers or petitions to the gods, expressing the speaker's feelings of injustice or misfortune.Over time, the meaning of 怨 expanded to include a wider range of negative emotions, such as anger, hatred, and jealousy. It can also be used to describe a situation in which someone has been wronged or mistreated.In modern Chinese, 怨 is still commonly used to express feelings of resentment or grievance. It can also be used as a noun to refer to a grudge or complaint. For example, the phrase 一肚子怨气 (yī dùzi yuànqì) means "to have a bellyful of grievances."The character 怨 is also used in a number of idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 怨天尤人 (yuàn tiān yóu rén) means "to blame the heavens and hate other people," while the proverb 冤有头，债有主 (yuān yǒu tóu, zhài yǒu zhǔ) means "every grievance has a source, and every debt has an owner."In conclusion, the Chinese character 怨 has a rich history and a complex meaning. It is a versatile character that can be used to express a variety of negative emotions and situations.