宿怨

sùyuàn
noun #31,910

Meanings

  1. 1 old grudge
  2. 2 long-standing resentment
  3. 3 old scores to settle

Examples

HSK 1
Liǎng jiārén yǒu sùyuàn, jǐshí nián bù shuōhuà.
The two families have an old grudge and haven't spoken for decades.
HSK 7-9
Tāmen zhījiān de sùyuàn zhōngyú huàjiě le.
The long-standing grudge between them has finally been resolved.

Tips

memory
宿 (sù) here means 'old / long-held' - the same meaning as in 宿敌 (sùdí, old enemy) and 宿命 (sùmìng, predestined fate). Combined with (yuàn, resentment), 宿怨 is resentment that has 'lodged' in the heart for a long time.
register
Literary / written register, common in fiction, history, and journalism describing feuds, vendettas, and long-running disputes. The everyday spoken equivalent is 老仇 (lǎochóu) or 旧账 (jiùzhàng, 'old accounts').

Stroke Order

宿
yuàn