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悚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
悚sǒngscared, frightenedg, 10 strokes, radical 忄, rank #7623, Hard
sǒng(song3)song T3
  1. 1scared, frightened
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March 24, 2026

悚sǒng(song3)

The character 悚 (sǒng) means to be scared or frightened. It is often used in contexts where someone experiences fear or anxiety, typically in response to something threatening or unsettling. This word conveys a deeper level of fear than just being startled.

Strokes10Radical忄Frequency#7623DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, expressions of fear can be tied to superstitions and ghost stories, especially during festivals like the Ghost Festival (中元节), when the spirits of the deceased are believed to return. The usage of 悚 may evoke these cultural themes.

Memory tip

Imagine a person who hears a sudden noise in the dark and their heart starts racing (the radical '忄' suggests emotions). Visualize them screaming 'sǒng!' as they feel a chill down their spine. The character's form, with the heartbeat radical, represents their fright.

Meanings of 悚

sǒng(song3)
1scared, frightened
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 悚 means.

About 悚

悚Simplified
10Strokes
忄Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 悚

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Podcast: 悚

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AI study notes for 悚

Quick Contrast

惧 (jù) - use 悚 (sǒng) when describing a deeper, more profound fear, while 惧 (jù) can imply a more general or lesser degree of fear.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 悚 with similar-sounding words. It is more formal and less commonly used in everyday conversation, so it may appear more in literature or formal contexts. Common collocations include 悚然 (sǒngrán), meaning 'terrified'.

HSK Study Tips

While 悚 is not an HSK word, it connects to HSK Level 5 vocabulary related to emotions and feelings. Focus on the emotional aspect of the word and practice using it in sentences about fear or anxiety.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 悚 with 害怕 (hàipà) and use it incorrectly in casual conversation. For example, saying '我很悚' (wǒ hěn sǒng) is incorrect; instead, use '我很害怕' (wǒ hěn hàipà) for 'I am very afraid.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 悚

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Etymology of 悚

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

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 束 represents the sound.

Memory hint

heart

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

Origin

悚 = 忄 + 束. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 悚

IDS Structure⿰忄束
悚Full character
=
忄xin1
left
束Shu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 悚?

How to say scared, frightened in Chinese

“scared, frightened” in Chinese is悚sǒng

The character 悚 (sǒng) means to be scared or frightened. It is often used in contexts where someone experiences fear or anxiety, typically in response to something threatening or unsettling. This word conveys a deeper level of fear than just being startled.

When to use 悚

Be careful not to confuse 悚 with similar-sounding words. It is more formal and less commonly used in everyday conversation, so it may appear more in literature or formal contexts. Common collocations include 悚然 (sǒngrán), meaning 'terrified'.

悚 or something close to it

惧 (jù) - use 悚 (sǒng) when describing a deeper, more profound fear, while 惧 (jù) can imply a more general or lesser degree of fear.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 悚 with 害怕 (hàipà) and use it incorrectly in casual conversation. For example, saying '我很悚' (wǒ hěn sǒng) is incorrect; instead, use '我很害怕' (wǒ hěn hàipà) for 'I am very afraid.'

Write 悚

悚

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

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Grammar patterns of 悚

悚 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

她和那个让人毛骨____然的家伙丹尼斯还没离婚吗?

Was she still married to that creepy guy, Dennis?

Example sentences for 悚 (6)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
她和那个让人毛骨悚然的家伙丹尼斯还没离婚吗?

tā hé nàge ràng rén máo gǔ sǒng rán de jiāhuo dān ní Sī hái méi líhūn ma?

Was she still married to that creepy guy, Dennis?
2
那部电影原来是部扣人心弦的惊悚片。

nà bù diànyǐng yuánlái shì bù kòurénxīnxián de jīng sǒng piàn。

The film turned out to be a gripping thriller.
3
想到它就会让我毛骨悚然。

xiǎngdào tā jiù huì ràng wǒ máo gǔ sǒng rán。

It makes my flesh creep to think of it.
4
这些令人毛骨悚然的女主人公使哈特的书读起来让人爱不释手。

zhèxiē lìng rén máo gǔ sǒng rán de nǚ zhǔréngōng shǐ Hā tè de shū dú qǐlái ràng rén àibúshìshǒu。

These chilling heroines make Hart's books compulsive reading.
5
想到这里, 方鸿渐毛骨悚然.

xiǎngdào zhèlǐ, fāng hóng jiān máo gǔ sǒng rán.

When he started thinking about all that, he shuddered in horror.
6
下面是个令人毛骨悚然的深不见底的裂隙。

xiàmiàn shì gè lìng rén máo gǔ sǒng rán de shēn bújiàn de de liè xì。

Below was a terrifyingly deep crevasse.

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Word Family of 悚

Words containing this character5
悚sǒngfrightened
惊悚thriller驚悚
毛骨悚然to feel one's blood run cold
悚然frightened
震悚to shock
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 悚

What does 惊悚 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 悚

You can say, '他对幽灵感到悚' (tā duì yōulíng gǎndào sǒng), meaning 'He was frightened by the ghost.'

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