Definitions

wèi (verb) to fear; to be afraid of
wèi (noun) respect; awe

Etymology

Pictograph of a ghost () wielding a stick (), which is a fearful sight to behold. is also a sound component.

About

The character "畏" in its traditional form depicts a graphic conception of fear, constructed from elements representing a clawed hand or weapon menacing a kneeling figure, which originally conveyed the concrete and immediate dread of physical harm or supernatural punishment. Over time, this sense of terror broadened into the more abstract and psychological realm of awe, respect, and trepidation, encompassing the fear of moral authority, divine power, or formidable circumstances. Its structural composition, while streamlined, retains the essential idea of a looming threat over a subordinate form, a visual etymology that underpins its enduring semantic core of apprehension, whether born from external danger or internal reverence.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 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)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他很惧黑暗。

Tā hěn wèijù hēi'àn.

He is very afraid of the dark.

小孩子常常惧打雷。

Xiǎo háizi chángcháng wèijù dǎléi.

Children often fear thunder.

惧独自走夜路。

Tā wèijù dúzì zǒu yèlù.

She fears walking alone at night.

不要惧困难,要勇敢面对。

Bùyào wèijù kùnnán, yào yǒnggǎn miànduì.

Don't fear difficulties; face them bravely.

他因为惧失败而不敢尝试。

Tā yīnwèi wèijù shībài ér bù gǎn chángshì.

He dares not try because he fears failure.

如果你惧批评,就很难进步。

Rúguǒ nǐ wèijù pīpíng, jiù hěn nán jìnbù.

If you fear criticism, it will be hard to make progress.

患者表现出光症状,需要遮光。

Huànzhě biǎoxiàn chū wèiguāng zhèngzhuàng, xūyào zhēguāng.

The patient shows symptoms of photophobia and needs light shielding.

在未知的领域探索时,科学家们也会感到惧。

Zài wèizhī de lǐngyù tànsuǒ shí, kēxuéjiāmen yě huì gǎndào wèijù.

When exploring unknown fields, scientists also feel fear.