Definition
怄气 describes a state of suppressed resentment or annoyance over a trivial matter — one either sulks silently or engages in petty quarreling. It's more nuanced than 生气 'angry' because it implies holding a grudge or giving the silent treatment. The common pattern is 跟〔某人〕怄气 ('to be upset with someone').
v
to sulk (in a huff, silently)to squabble (over trivial matters)
Examples
- 怄气，。Bié gēn wǒ òu qì le, wǒ zhīdào cuò le.Don't sulk at me — I know I was wrong.
- 怄气，。Tā yīnwèi yì diǎn xiǎoshì jiù òu qì, zhěngtiān bù shuōhuà.He sulked over a small matter and didn't speak all day.
- 怄气，。Liǎng gè rén wèi shéi xǐ wǎn òu qì, chǎo le shí fēnzhōng.The two squabbled over who would wash the dishes and argued for ten minutes.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.