欿 (kǎn) - dissatisfied & discontented

欿Tone 3

kǎn ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

欿 · kǎn

dissatisfied;

discontented;

to feel ashamed;

to covet;

to desire

dissatisfieddiscontentedto feel ashamed

Usage highlights

dissatisfied appearancenot discontented nor covetousfeel ashamedcovet wealthdesire famedissatisfied with one's lot

Synonyms

  • 歉— apologetic; deficient
  • 慊— dissatisfied; discontented
  • 贪— covet; greedy

Antonyms

  • 满— satisfied; full
  • 足— sufficient; content

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He felt ashamed of his own inadequacy (欿然).
  • One should not be discontented with one's lot (不欿不求).
  • The scholar was dissatisfied with his limited knowledge (学者欿其学浅).
  • She coveted the achievements of others (欿人之功).

Collocations

  • dissatisfied appearance(欿然)
  • not discontented nor covetous(不欿不求)
  • feel ashamed(欿愧)
  • covet wealth(欿财)
  • desire fame(欿名)
  • dissatisfied with one's lot(欿遇)

Idioms

  • Neither discontented nor covetous(不欿不求)
  • Feel ashamed of one's inadequacy(欿然自失)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Appears in classical texts like 'Zuo Zhuan' with the meaning of discontent or dissatisfaction.
  • The phrase '不欿不求' (neither discontented nor covetous) is considered a virtuous attitude in Confucian ethics.
  • Rarely used in modern Chinese, primarily found in classical contexts or literary works.

FAQ