满[mǎn] vs. 蛮[mán]: What are the Differences?

What is the difference between 满[mǎn] and 蛮[mán]? What does this word 满[mǎn] mean? And what does 蛮[mán] really mean? How to use both words correctly?

Let us take a look at the following three tables displaying the various definitions of 满[mǎn] and 蛮[mán], and plus sample sentences and phrases.

Especially, I am going to present a couple of sample phrases by using 蛮[mán], and help you fix the expressions you maybe misuse.

There are too many Chinese making a word-choice mistake with using 蛮[mán] and 满[mǎn], so as to make some Chinese learners getting much more confused.

This lesson can help you get more confidence in using 满[mǎn] and 蛮[mán].

Table 1

满[mǎn]

1. full; filled; packed

水满了[shuǐ mǎn le] The water is full.

停车场满了[tíng chē chǎng mǎn le] The parking lot is full.

2. full; complete; whole

她满心欢喜 [tā mǎn xīn huān xǐ]。 She is happy with the whole heart.

3. arrogant; complacent; self-satisfied

她很自满[tā hěn zì mǎn]。 She is very arrogant.

4. to reach the limit; to expire

期限已满[qī xiàn yǐ mǎn]。 The time is up.

Table 2

蛮[mán]

1. barbarous; uncivilized; rude; unreasonable

野蛮[yě mán] /barbarous; uncivilized; rude; unreasonable 虐待动物是野蛮的行为[nüè dài dòng wù shì yě mán de xíng wéi]。 Cruelty to animals is barbaric behavior.

2. quite; pretty; very; fairly

蛮不讲理[mán bù jiǎng lǐ]   /rude and unreasonable 蛮不开心[mán bù kāi xīn]   /quite unhappy 蛮开心[mán kāi xīn]   /quite happy 蛮好吃[mán hǎo chī]   /very tasty 蛮喜欢[mán xǐ huān]   /quite like 蛮自满[mán zì mǎn]   /very arrogant; quite self-satisfied

Table 3

Which sentence do you think is right?

(√) 1. 她蛮喜欢看电影[tā mán xǐ huān kàn diàn yǐng]。            She quite likes watching movie. (ㄨ) 2. 她满喜欢看电影[tā mǎn xǐ huān kàn diàn yǐng]。            She quite likes watching movie.