恨不得 (hènbude) · to be itching to

恨不得 (hènbude) means “to be itching to; to wish one could”. It is written with 3 characters: 恨 (to hate) + 不 (not) + 得 (to get). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).

How 恨不得 is built

The characters

恨 hèn · to hate

What 恨 is made of

忄xīn — heart
- 八bā — eight
- 丨 — vertical stroke
艮gěn — blunt

不 bù · not

What 不 is made of

一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: A bird flying toward the sky 一 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

得 dé · to get

What 得 is made of

彳chì — to step with the left foot
- 丨 — vertical stroke
旦dàn — dawn
- 日rì — sun; day
  - 口kǒu — mouth
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
寸cùn — inch

Origin hint: A hand 寸 grabbing a shell 旦 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

我恨不得马上飞回家。Wǒ hènbude mǎshàng fēi huíjiā.I wish I could fly home right now.

他恨不得一天学完所有的词。Tā hènbude yì tiān xuéwán suǒyǒu de cí.He wishes he could learn all the words in a day.

Questions about 恨不得

What does 恨不得 mean?

恨不得 (hènbude) means “to be itching to; to wish one could”.

How do you pronounce 恨不得?

恨不得 is pronounced hènbude.

Which HSK level is 恨不得?

恨不得 is in Old HSK 6.

Related words

Learn 恨不得 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 77: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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