B1 noun Neutral

麻烦

/mǎ fán/

Trouble or bother; also used as a verb to trouble someone or as an adjective meaning troublesome. A core word for polite requests in Chinese.

Examples

3 of 5
1

真不好意思,还要麻烦你跑一趟。

I'm so sorry to trouble you to make a trip.

2

如果这不会给您带来太大麻烦,请帮我签个字。

If it won't cause you too much trouble, please sign this for me.

3

这事儿真麻烦!

This is so troublesome!

Word Family

Noun
麻烦
Verb
麻烦
Adverb
麻烦地
Adjective
麻烦的
💡

Memory Tip

麻 (hemp) + 烦 (annoyed) = Like tangled hemp fibers that make you feel annoyed.

Quick Quiz

真的很抱歉,给您的工作带来了____。

Correct!

The correct answer is: 麻烦

Examples

1

真不好意思,还要麻烦你跑一趟。

everyday

I'm so sorry to trouble you to make a trip.

2

如果这不会给您带来太大麻烦,请帮我签个字。

formal

If it won't cause you too much trouble, please sign this for me.

3

这事儿真麻烦!

informal

This is so troublesome!

4

繁琐的程序给申请者带来了不少麻烦。

academic

Tedious procedures have caused quite a lot of trouble for applicants.

5

麻烦您把这份报告打印出来。

business

Could I trouble you to print out this report?

Word Family

Noun
麻烦
Verb
麻烦
Adverb
麻烦地
Adjective
麻烦的

Common Collocations

添麻烦 cause trouble
解决麻烦 solve trouble
找麻烦 look for trouble
太麻烦了 too troublesome
麻烦你了 sorry to trouble you

Common Phrases

不嫌麻烦

not minding the trouble

少找麻烦

avoid causing trouble

省麻烦

save trouble

Often Confused With

麻烦 vs 打扰

打扰 (dǎrǎo) is specifically 'to disturb/interrupt', while 麻烦 is more general about causing extra work or difficulty.

📝

Usage Notes

Frequently used as a polite 'prefix' for requests: '麻烦您...' (Could I trouble you to...).

⚠️

Common Mistakes

In English, 'trouble' is rarely used as a verb in this polite way, so learners might forget to use it as a polite marker in Chinese.

💡

Memory Tip

麻 (hemp) + 烦 (annoyed) = Like tangled hemp fibers that make you feel annoyed.

📖

Word Origin

From '麻' (hemp/tangled) and '烦' (irritated).

Grammar Patterns

麻烦 + [Someone] + [To do something] 给[Someone]添麻烦
🌍

Cultural Context

Politeness in China often involves acknowledging the trouble you are causing others, even for small favors.

Quick Quiz

真的很抱歉,给您的工作带来了____。

Correct!

The correct answer is: 麻烦

Related Grammar Rules

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