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忞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
忞mínto psych up; to steel one's nerveszg, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mínto encourage oneselfunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mínancient variant of 暋[min3]unknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞míndisorderlyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mínmessyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mínchaoticunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mǐnto psych up; to steel one's nerveszg, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mǐnto encourage oneselfunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mǐnancient variant of 暋[min3]unknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mǐndisorderlyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mǐnmessyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞mǐnchaoticunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞wěnto psych up; to steel one's nerveszg, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞wěnto encourage oneselfunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞wěnancient variant of 暋[min3]unknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞wěndisorderlyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞wěnmessyunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
忞wěnchaoticunknown, 8 strokes, radical 心
mín(min2)min
primary
T2
  1. 1to psych up; to steel one's nerves
  2. 2to encourage oneself
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March 24, 2026

忞mín(min2)

The character 忞 (mín) conveys a sense of mental preparation or encouragement, often associated with steeling one's nerves in challenging situations. It can also imply disorder or chaos, reflecting a state of messiness both physically and mentally. This multifaceted meaning makes it useful in various contexts, particularly when discussing motivation and emotional states.

Strokes8Radical心
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, the idea of psyching oneself up or encouraging oneself is deeply rooted in practices like martial arts, where mental preparation is key to success. The concept of chaos (messiness) can also be linked to the philosophical idea of balance in life, as represented in Daoism.

Memory tip

Imagine a person about to face a daunting challenge, looking in the mirror and saying 'I can do this!' to psych themselves up. The character 忞 has the radical 忄 (heart), suggesting an emotional or psychological focus, while the phonetic component mín resembles 'mean', as in being 'mean to oneself' before a tough situation.

Meanings of 忞

mín(min2)
primary
1to psych up; to steel one's nerves
2to encourage oneself
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 忞

忞Simplified
8Strokes
心Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 忞

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Podcast: 忞

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AI study notes for 忞

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using 忞, as it may not be widely recognized in modern contexts due to its archaic usage. It's more common in literary or historical texts. Collocations include phrases related to emotional preparation or chaotic situations, and it's important to use the correct tone; 忞 has a rising tone (mín) that can be confused with other characters.

HSK Study Tips

Although 忞 is not part of any official HSK level, its components can help learners understand characters related to emotions and states of mind. Focus on the radical 忄, which appears in many other characters, to build a broader vocabulary around feelings and psychological states.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 忞 with similar-sounding characters due to the tonal nature of Mandarin. For example, mixing it up with 念 (niàn, meaning 'to read') is a common mistake that can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 忞

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Etymology of 忞

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

heart

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

Origin

忞 = 心 + 文. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 忞

IDS Structure⿱文心
忞Full character
=
文Wen2
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 忞?

How to say to psych up; to steel one's nerves in Chinese

“to psych up; to steel one's nerves” in Chinese is忞mín

The character 忞 (mín) conveys a sense of mental preparation or encouragement, often associated with steeling one's nerves in challenging situations. It can also imply disorder or chaos, reflecting a state of messiness both physically and mentally. This multifaceted meaning makes it useful in various contexts, particularly when discussing motivation and emotional states.

When to use 忞

Be cautious when using 忞, as it may not be widely recognized in modern contexts due to its archaic usage. It's more common in literary or historical texts. Collocations include phrases related to emotional preparation or chaotic situations, and it's important to use the correct tone; 忞 has a rising tone (mín) that can be confused with other characters.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 忞 with similar-sounding characters due to the tonal nature of Mandarin. For example, mixing it up with 念 (niàn, meaning 'to read') is a common mistake that can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 忞

忞

Practice writing 忞 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 忞

Words containing this character1
忞mínmessy

Frequently asked questions about 忞

It's not commonly used in everyday conversation, but it can be found in literary contexts discussing mental preparation or chaos.

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