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March 24, 2026
懷huái(huai2)
The character 懷 (huái) primarily refers to the bosom or breast, symbolizing a sense of warmth and closeness. It is often used in expressions that convey emotional attachment or the act of carrying something significant in one's heart or mind, such as feelings or memories.
Strokes19Radical忄Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the bosom symbolizes not only physical warmth but also emotional intimacy and connection. Expressions using 懷 often convey deep affection or sorrow, reflecting the Chinese value placed on close relationships and family bonds.
Memory Tip
Imagine a warm heart (the bosom) cradling a treasure. The character 懷 has the component '心' (heart) at its core, representing emotions, while the outer form suggests a protective embrace. Think of 'huái' as 'hiding' something precious in your bosom.
Meanings of 懷
huái(huai2)
1bosom, breast; to carry in one's bosom
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 懷
懷Simplified
19Strokes
忄Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 懷
Podcast: 懷
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AI Study Notes for 懷
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a warm heart (the bosom) cradling a treasure. The character 懷 has the component '心' (heart) at its core, representing emotions, while the outer form suggests a protective embrace. Think of 'huái' as 'hiding' something precious in your bosom.
Usage Notes
Be mindful that 懷 is often used in literary or poetic contexts, making it less common in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 懷念 (huái niàn - to cherish memories) and 懷抱 (huái bào - to embrace). Learners should also pay attention to the tone, ensuring they pronounce it with the second tone.
HSK Study Tips
While 懷 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other emotional vocabulary at a similar level. Focus on understanding its use in literary contexts and related phrases which express feelings or nostalgia.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the bosom symbolizes not only physical warmth but also emotional intimacy and connection. Expressions using 懷 often convey deep affection or sorrow, reflecting the Chinese value placed on close relationships and family bonds.
Common Mistakes
Learners may confuse 懷 with other characters that share similar sounds but different meanings, such as 怀 (huái, to embrace). For example, saying '我懷念他' (Wǒ huái niàn tā) is correct, but a mistake might be using the wrong character like '我怀念他.'
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Pronunciation of 懷
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Cultural Notes for 懷
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the bosom symbolizes not only physical warmth but also emotional intimacy and connection. Expressions using 懷 often convey deep affection or sorrow, reflecting the Chinese value placed on close relationships and family bonds.
Word Family of 懷
Words Containing This Character20
怀疑huáiyíto doubt (sth)懷疑
怀孕huáiyùnpregnant懷孕
怀huáibosom懷
怀念huáiniànto think of懷念
关怀guānhuáicare關懷
怀里huáilǐembrace懷裡
怀抱huáibàoto hug懷抱
满怀mǎnhuái(to collide) full on滿懷
怀旧huáijiùnostalgia懷舊
情怀qínghuáifeelings情懷
胸怀xiōnghuáibreast胸懷
心怀to cherish心懷
释怀to release (tension)釋懷
缅怀miǎnhuáito commemorate緬懷
怀特White (name)懷特
耿耿于怀to take troubles to heart (idiom); brooding耿耿於懷
忘怀to forget忘懷
开怀without restraint開懷
怀表pocket watch懷錶
彭德怀Peng Dehuai (1898-1974), top communist general, subsequently politician and politburo member, disgraced after attacking Mao's failed policies in 1959, and died after extensive persecution during the Cultural Revolution彭德懷
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 怀疑 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 懷
You can use 懷 in phrases like '懷念過去' (huái niàn guò qù - to miss the past) or '懷抱希望' (huái bào xī wàng - to embrace hope).
While 懷 is more common in literature and poetry, it can still be used in conversations to express feelings.
The correct pronunciation is huái, with the second tone.
