Meaning
无聊 describes a state of boredom or something that is boring and uninteresting. It conveys the feeling of having nothing meaningful to do or experiencing something tedious and unengaging. The word combines 无 (without) and 聊 (to chat/occupy oneself), literally suggesting being without mental engagement or entertainment.
Usage
Native speakers use 无聊 both to describe their own feelings of boredom (我很无聊) and to criticize something as boring or pointless (这个电影真无聊). It's informal but not impolite. Commonly used by young people to express dissatisfaction with idle time or uninteresting activities.
Examples
- 01周末在家待着太无聊了，我们出去玩吧。, .Staying at home on the weekend is too boring, let's go out and have fun.
- 02这个电视节目一点也不好看，真无聊。, .This TV show isn't interesting at all, it's really boring.
Characters
Common collocations
- 很无聊very bored/boring
- 无聊的时候when bored
- 感到无聊to feel bored
- 真无聊so boring
Antonyms
Origin
The character 聊 originally meant to chat or converse. Combined with 无 (without), 无聊 literally means without conversation or mental occupation, which evolved to mean bored or boring.