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懾 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
懾shèafraid, scared; to frighten, to intimidatex, 21 strokes, radical 忄
shè(she4)she T4
  1. 1afraid, scared; to frighten, to intimidate
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March 24, 2026

懾shè(she4)

The character 懾 (shè) signifies a sense of fear or intimidation. It is often used to describe feelings of being scared or frightened, whether by a situation or a person. This character can also imply causing someone to feel afraid or intimidated.

Strokes21Radical忄
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, expressions of fear or intimidation are often tied to respect for authority or tradition. The character can be found in literature that discusses moral dilemmas or the consequences of fear in societal contexts.

Memory tip

Imagine a person standing on a high cliff (the character '懾' can be visualized with its complex strokes resembling a precarious edge) and looking down. The fear of falling makes them feel 'shè' – scared. The sound 'shè' can remind you of a 'shudder' that one does when frightened.

Meanings of 懾

shè(she4)
1afraid, scared; to frighten, to intimidate
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 懾

懾Simplified
21Strokes
忄Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 懾

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AI study notes for 懾

Usage Notes

When using 懾, ensure you convey the appropriate context of fear, as it can be too strong for casual situations. It is more common in formal writing or literature rather than everyday conversation. Be careful with the tone; the fourth tone can change the meaning in casual speech.

HSK Study Tips

While 懾 is not an HSK level word, it connects to HSK vocabulary related to emotions and mental states. Focus on using it alongside words like '害怕' (hàipà - to be afraid) for better understanding of fear-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 懾 with other fear-related terms like '怕' (pà). For example, saying '我懾这个电影' (wǒ shè zhège diànyǐng) instead of '我怕这个电影' (wǒ pà zhège diànyǐng) is incorrect, as 懾 is not commonly used in such contexts.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 懾

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Etymology of 懾

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 聂 represents the sound. Simplified form of 懾.

Memory hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)聶
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

懾 = 忄 + 聶. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 懾

IDS Structure⿰忄聶
懾Full character
=
忄xin1
left
聶nie4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 懾?

How to say afraid, scared; to frighten, to intimidate in Chinese

“afraid, scared; to frighten, to intimidate” in Chinese is懾shè

The character 懾 (shè) signifies a sense of fear or intimidation. It is often used to describe feelings of being scared or frightened, whether by a situation or a person. This character can also imply causing someone to feel afraid or intimidated.

When to use 懾

When using 懾, ensure you convey the appropriate context of fear, as it can be too strong for casual situations. It is more common in formal writing or literature rather than everyday conversation. Be careful with the tone; the fourth tone can change the meaning in casual speech.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 懾 with other fear-related terms like '怕' (pà). For example, saying '我懾这个电影' (wǒ shè zhège diànyǐng) instead of '我怕这个电影' (wǒ pà zhège diànyǐng) is incorrect, as 懾 is not commonly used in such contexts.

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懾

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Word Family of 懾

Words containing this character6
震慑to awe震懾
威慑wēishèdeterrence威懾
慑shèafraid懾
慑服to overawe懾服
核威慑nuclear deterrence核威懾
威慑力量deterrent force威懾力量
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 懾

What does 震慑 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 懾

You pronounce it as 'shè', with a falling tone.

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