惶

huáng

忄 + 皇

Definitions

huáng (adjective) frightened; afraid; anxious

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 皇 represents the sound.

Semantic: 忄 Phonetic: 皇

About

The character 惶 is a phono-semantic compound formed by the semantic radical 忄 (xīn), the vertical heart radical associated with emotions and mental states, combined with the phonetic component 皇 (huáng), meaning emperor. The heart radical indicates that the word belongs to the category of psychological conditions. It means to be frightened or anxious. This character is often paired with others related to fear to form compounds expressing extreme panic. The phonetic element provides the sound, while the semantic radical determines the meaning, resulting in a character that conveys intense anxiety and alarm.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我感到有些惶恐。

Wǒ gǎndào yǒuxiē huángkǒng.

I feel somewhat panicked.

他脸上露出惶恐的表情。

Tā liǎnshang lùchū huángkǒng de biǎoqíng.

His face shows a panicked expression.

孩子们惶惑地看着大人。

Háizimen huánghuò de kànzhe dàrén.

The children look at the adults with perplexity and alarm.

地震后，人们惶惶不安。

Dìzhèn hòu, rénmen huánghuáng bù'ān.

After the earthquake, people are anxious and uneasy.

这种不确定性令人惶惧。

Zhè zhǒng bù quèdìngxìng lìng rén huángjù.

This kind of uncertainty makes people fearful.

他惶急地寻找丢失的文件。

Tā huángjí de xúnzhǎo diūshī de wénjiàn.

He urgently and anxiously searches for the lost document.

在陌生的环境中，她感到惶然无助。

Zài mòshēng de huánjìng zhōng, tā gǎndào huángrán wúzhù.

In an unfamiliar environment, she feels panicked and helpless.

面对突如其来的变故，他内心充满惶惑与迷茫。

Miànduì túrúqílái de biàngù, tā nèixīn chōngmǎn huánghuò yǔ mímáng.

Facing the sudden change, his heart is full of perplexity and confusion.

Related Characters

Component: 忄

Component: 皇

惶