愁

chóu

心 + 秋

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

chóu (verb) to worry; to be anxious

chóu (noun) sorrow; melancholy

Etymology

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

Semantic: 心 Phonetic: 秋

About

愁 is a phono-semantic compound with the heart radical 心 at its base, indicating an emotional or psychological state. The upper component, 秋 (autumn), provides both the phonetic cue and contributes to the meaning. This combination of "autumn" and "heart" evokes the melancholy and anxiety traditionally associated with the fall season and the coming winter in agrarian life. Thus, the character conveys sorrow, worry, and a deep sense of gloom, reflecting a state of distress akin to the withering of the natural world.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我最近有点发愁。

Wǒ zuìjìn yǒudiǎn fāchóu.

I've been a bit worried lately.

他正在为考试发愁。

Tā zhèngzài wèi kǎoshì fāchóu.

He is worrying about the exam.

她脸上布满了忧愁。

Tā liǎn shàng bùmǎn le yōuchóu.

Her face is covered with sorrow.

别为这点小事犯愁。

Bié wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì fànchóu.

Don't fret over such a small matter.

未来的不确定性令人愁。

Wèilái de bù quèdìng xìng lìng rén chóu.

The uncertainty of the future makes people anxious.

生活的压力使他愁白了头。

Shēnghuó de yālì shǐ tā chóu bái le tóu.

The pressures of life have turned his hair white with worry.

望着窗外的雨，他心中满是乡愁。

Wàngzhe chuāng wài de yǔ, tā xīn zhōng mǎn shì xiāngchóu.

Gazing at the rain outside the window, his heart is filled with homesickness.

解决这个复杂的问题需要智慧，光发愁是没用的。

Jiějué zhège fùzá de wèntí xūyào zhìhuì, guāng fāchóu shì méi yòng de.

Solving this complex problem requires wisdom; just worrying is useless.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 心

Component: 秋

愁