宿怨

sùyuàn
noun #31,910

Meanings

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

Examples

Liǎng jiā rén yǒu sùyuàn, jǐshí nián bù shuōhuà.
The two families have an old grudge and haven't spoken for decades.
Tāmen zhī jiān 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 (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 (lǎochóu) or 旧账 (jiùzhàng, 'old accounts').

Stroke Order

宿
yuàn