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吓人 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
吓人xiàrénto scare; scary; frighteningHSK 7, a, 8 strokes, rank #3162, Very Hard
xiàrén(xia4ren2)xia ren T4
  1. 1to scare
  2. 2scary
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March 24, 2026

吓人xiàrén(xia4ren2)

The term 吓人 (xiàrén) means 'to scare' or 'to frighten.' It is commonly used to describe something that causes fear or shock, whether in a literal sense like a horror movie or in a metaphorical sense, such as alarming news. This phrase captures the essence of inducing fear in others.

Strokes8Frequency#3162DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, ghost stories are a traditional form of entertainment, especially during festivals like the Ghost Festival, where tales of the supernatural are commonly shared, making 吓人 particularly relevant during these times.

Memory tip

Imagine a scary ghost appearing suddenly and saying 'Xia!' which sounds like 'scare' in English. The character 吓 has a radical that resembles a person (人) being startled, helping you visualize someone frightened.

Meanings of 吓人

xiàrén(xia4ren2)
1to scare
2scary
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 吓人

吓人Simplified
8Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

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Podcast: 吓人

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AI study notes for 吓人

Quick Contrast

害怕 (hàipà) - 吓人 refers to something that causes fear in others, while 害怕 describes the feeling of fear experienced by oneself.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 吓人 with just 吓 (to scare) alone, as 吓人 specifically emphasizes the effect on a person. This term is typically used in informal contexts. A common collocation is 吓人的故事 (scary stories).

HSK Study Tips

Although not an HSK vocabulary word, 吓人 can be related to HSK Level 3 words like 恐怕 (kǒngpà - to be afraid) and 事情 (shìqíng - things/events). Focus on the usage of 吓人 in everyday conversations about fears or surprises.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 吓人 in a formal context, which can sound awkward. For example, saying '这个报告吓人' (This report is scary) may not be appropriate; instead, use a more neutral term to describe the report.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 吓人

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Component characters

吓hèto scare
HSK 66 strokes口
View full entry
人rénman
HSK 12 strokes人
View full entry

How to say to scare in Chinese

“to scare” in Chinese is吓人xiàrén

The term 吓人 (xiàrén) means 'to scare' or 'to frighten.' It is commonly used to describe something that causes fear or shock, whether in a literal sense like a horror movie or in a metaphorical sense, such as alarming news. This phrase captures the essence of inducing fear in others.

When to use 吓人

Be careful not to confuse 吓人 with just 吓 (to scare) alone, as 吓人 specifically emphasizes the effect on a person. This term is typically used in informal contexts. A common collocation is 吓人的故事 (scary stories).

吓人 or something close to it

害怕 (hàipà) - 吓人 refers to something that causes fear in others, while 害怕 describes the feeling of fear experienced by oneself.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 吓人 in a formal context, which can sound awkward. For example, saying '这个报告吓人' (This report is scary) may not be appropriate; instead, use a more neutral term to describe the report.

Write 吓人

吓
人

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Frequently asked questions about 吓人

You can say '这个电影很吓人' (This movie is very scary).

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