What does 沉闷 mean in Chinese?

沉闷 (chén mèn) means "oppressive (of weather); heavy; depressed; not happy; (of sound) dull; muffled" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 7-9.

How do you pronounce 沉闷?

沉闷 is pronounced "chén mèn" in Mandarin Chinese. It is made up of 2 syllables.

What HSK level is 沉闷?

沉闷 is an HSK 7-9 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 6 on the old exam, HSK 7-9 on the new one.

What characters make up 沉闷?

沉闷 is made up of the characters 沉, 闷. Each character has its own meaning and can appear in other words.

How do you write 沉闷?

You can practice writing 沉闷 using our stroke order tool.

沉闷 (chén mèn), oppressive (of weather)

沉闷

chén mèn

oppressive (of weather); heavy; depressed; not happy

HSK 7-9 Was HSK 6

Traditional: 沉悶

Characters in This Word

沉闷

Definitions

oppressive (of weather)
heavy
depressed
not happy
(of sound) dull
muffled

Example Sentences

房间里气氛很沉闷。

Fángjiān lǐ qìfēn hěn chénmèn

The atmosphere in the room is very oppressive

Related Words

刻(kè)· quarter (hour)

→

干燥(gān zào)· to dry (of weather, paint, cement etc)

→

低沉(dī chén)· overcast

→

咍(hāi)· (interj.)

→

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 7-9
HSK 2.0: HSK 6
HSK Lord study list: HSK 8 list

沉闷: HSK 6 on the old exam, HSK 7-9 on the new one. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 7-9 exam

Studying for HSK 7-9? Keep 沉闷 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each word comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.