恐

kǒng

巩 + 心

Definitions

kǒng (adjective) afraid; frightened; fearful

kǒng (verb) to fear; to be afraid of

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 巩 represents the sound.

Semantic: 心 Phonetic: 巩

About

恐 is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic component 心 (heart) sits at the bottom and the phonetic component 巩 (to consolidate, secure) at the top. Historically, 巩 combines 凡 and 工, and here it supplies the sound while the heart radical keeps the character firmly in the realm of emotions. Its primary meaning is fear or dread, used as a noun for terror and as a verb for fearing or anticipating something negative.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我恐怕不能来。

Wǒ kǒngpà bù néng lái.

I'm afraid I can't come.

这部电影很恐怖。

Zhè bù diànyǐng hěn kǒngbù.

This movie is very scary.

这个孩子感到恐惧。

Zhège háizi gǎndào kǒngjù.

This child feels fear.

他恐怕已经回家了。

Tā kǒngpà yǐjīng huí jiā le.

He has probably gone home already.

由于恐高，他不敢坐飞机。

Yóuyú kǒnggāo, tā bù gǎn zuò fēijī.

Due to fear of heights, he doesn't dare to fly.

恐龙在数百万年前灭绝了。

Kǒnglóng zài shù bǎi wàn nián qián mièjué le.

Dinosaurs went extinct millions of years ago.

恐怖分子的威胁引起了全球恐慌。

Kǒngbù fènzǐ de wēixié yǐnqǐle quánqiú kǒnghuāng.

The threat of terrorists caused global panic.

政府采取行动以防止恐慌情绪蔓延。

Zhèngfǔ cǎiqǔ xíngdòng yǐ fángzhǐ kǒnghuāng qíngxù mànyán.

The government took action to prevent the spread of panic.

Related Characters

Component: 巩

Component: 心

Example Words