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March 24, 2026
恐kǒng(kong3)
The character 恐 (kǒng) means 'to fear' or 'to be afraid.' It is commonly used to express feelings of fear or apprehension towards something, whether that be an object, situation, or even an abstract concept. This character can also appear in compound words, deepening its meaning in specific contexts, such as 恐惧 (kǒngjù), which means 'fear' or 'terror.'
Strokes10Radical心Frequency#5145DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, fear is often discussed in relation to respect—fear of authority, tradition, or the unknown is a common theme in literature and philosophy. This character may appear in discussions about societal norms and expectations.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person standing in front of a giant, looming shadow (representing fear). The character 恐 has the radical 心 (heart) at the bottom, indicating that fear is an emotion felt in the heart. The pronunciation 'kǒng' can be remembered by thinking of 'conquering' your fears, as you need to conquer fear to move forward.
Meanings of 恐
kǒng(kong3)
1afraid
2frightened
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 恐
恐Simplified
10Strokes
心Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#5145Frequency Rank
Podcast: 恐
Podcast: 恐
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AI Study Notes for 恐
Quick Contrast
恐 (kǒng, to fear) vs 畏 (wèi, to dread) — use 恐 for general fear, while 畏 implies a deeper, more profound fear often related to respect or awe.
Usage Notes
It's important to use 恐 in contexts that genuinely reflect fear, as using it too casually can sound overly dramatic. Common collocations include 恐惧 (fear) and 恐怖 (horrific). Be cautious with the tones; mispronouncing kǒng can lead to confusion with other words.
HSK Study Tips
Although 恐 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is useful for learners to understand emotional expressions. Students should connect it to other emotional characters such as 怒 (nù, anger) and 喜 (xǐ, joy) to build a deeper understanding of expressing feelings.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 恐 with 惧 (jù), which also means fear but has a more formal tone. For example, saying '我感到惧' (I feel fear) is less common; instead, use '我感到恐惧'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 恐
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Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 巩 represents the sound.
1The meaning half心 carries the sense.
2The sound half巩 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayheart
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 恐? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 恐?
Decomposition of 恐
IDS Structure⿱巩心
恐Full Character
=
巩gong3
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 恐?
How to say afraid in Chinese
“afraid” in Chinese is恐kǒng
The character 恐 (kǒng) means 'to fear' or 'to be afraid.' It is commonly used to express feelings of fear or apprehension towards something, whether that be an object, situation, or even an abstract concept. This character can also appear in compound words, deepening its meaning in specific contexts, such as 恐惧 (kǒngjù), which means 'fear' or 'terror.'
When to use 恐
It's important to use 恐 in contexts that genuinely reflect fear, as using it too casually can sound overly dramatic. Common collocations include 恐惧 (fear) and 恐怖 (horrific). Be cautious with the tones; mispronouncing kǒng can lead to confusion with other words.
恐 or something close to it
恐 (kǒng, to fear) vs 畏 (wèi, to dread) — use 恐 for general fear, while 畏 implies a deeper, more profound fear often related to respect or awe.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 恐 with 惧 (jù), which also means fear but has a more formal tone. For example, saying '我感到惧' (I feel fear) is less common; instead, use '我感到恐惧'.
Write 恐
恐
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Grammar Patterns of 恐
恐 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Many people were trampled in the panic that followed.
Cultural Notes for 恐
💡Did you know?
The character '恐' combines the heart component (心) with the radical for fear, representing the emotional state of fear stemming from the heart.
📜Proverb
In Chinese culture, there is a saying: '心中有恐，必有恐惧', meaning 'If there is fear in the heart, there will certainly be dread.' This reflects the deep connection between emotions and mental states.
Word Family of 恐
Words Containing This Character20
恐怖kǒngbùterrible
恐怕kǒngpàfear
恐惧kǒngjùfear恐懼
恐kǒngafraid
恐慌kǒnghuāngpanic
恐吓kǒnghèto threaten恐嚇
恐龙kǒnglóngdinosaur恐龍
反恐anti-terrorism
恐怖主义terrorism恐怖主義
惊恐to be alarmed驚恐
恐惧症phobia恐懼症
惶恐terrified
恐怖组织terrorist organization恐怖組織
争先恐后zhēngxiānkǒnghòustriving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another爭先恐後
有恃无恐secure in the knowledge that one has backing有恃無恐
恐怖片horror movie
惟恐lest
诚惶诚恐in fear and trepidation (idiom); in reverence before your majesty (court formula of humility)誠惶誠恐
恐怖症phobia
白色恐怖White Terror
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 恐怖 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 恐
Yes, 恐 (kǒng) is used in everyday language, particularly in contexts discussing fear and anxiety. It is also present in various idiomatic expressions and can be encountered in literature and media.
Common phrases that include 恐 (kǒng) are '恐惧' (kǒngjù), meaning 'fear' or 'terror,' and '恐怖' (kǒngbù), meaning 'horror' or 'terror.' These phrases are often used in discussions about emotions and experiences related to fear.
恐 (kǒng) means 'to fear' or 'to be afraid.' It is commonly used to express feelings of fear or fright. This character can also appear in various phrases and compounds related to fear.
You can use 恐 (kǒng) in sentences like '我很恐惧' (wǒ hěn kǒngjù), meaning 'I am very afraid.' It can also be used in phrases like '恐怕' (kǒngpà), which means 'I'm afraid that...' to express concern about something.
Common phrases include 恐惧 (kǒngjù) meaning 'fear' and 恐怖 (kǒngbù) meaning 'horror' or 'terror.'
The correct pronunciation is 'kǒng' with a third tone, which dips and then rises.
It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but be mindful of tone and appropriateness based on the situation.
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