仇

讎/讐

qiú, chóu

九 + 亻

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

chóu (noun) hatred; enmity; animosity

chóu (noun) enemy; foe

qiú (noun) spouse; companion

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 九 represents the sound.

Semantic: 亻 Phonetic: 九

About

仇 denotes enmity, intense hatred, vengeance, or deep-seated hostility. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left radical 亻 (rén, "person") situates the meaning within human relationships and interpersonal conflict, while the right component 九 (jiǔ) serves purely as a phonetic clue with no numerical significance. Historically, the character first meant a companion, mate, or matched pair, shifted over time to opponent or rival, and ultimately settled on its modern sense of a bitter enemy or the act of revenge.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他是我的仇人。

Tā shì wǒ de chóurén.

He is my enemy.

不要仇恨别人。

Bùyào chóuhèn biérén.

Do not hate others.

他们因为旧仇而打架。

Tāmen yīnwèi jiùchóu ér dǎjià.

They fought because of old grudges.

仇恨不能解决问题。

Chóuhèn bùnéng jiějué wèntí.

Hatred cannot solve problems.

如果你心中有仇，你就不会快乐。

Rúguǒ nǐ xīnzhōng yǒu chóu, nǐ jiù bù huì kuàilè.

If you have hatred in your heart, you will not be happy.

化解仇怨需要宽容和理解。

Huàjiě chóuyuàn xūyào kuānróng hé lǐjiě.

Resolving enmity requires tolerance and understanding.

尽管他们过去有仇，但现在已经成为朋友。

Jǐnguǎn tāmen guòqù yǒu chóu, dàn xiànzài yǐjīng chéngwéi péngyǒu.

Although they had enmity in the past, they have now become friends.

长期的冲突可能导致难以化解的仇恨。

Chángqī de chōngtū kěnéng dǎozhì nányǐ huàjiě de chóuhèn.

Long-term conflicts may lead to hatred that is difficult to resolve.

Related Characters

Component: 九

Component: 亻

仇