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March 24, 2026
愁chóu(chou2)
The character 愁 (chóu) describes a feeling of worry or anxiety, often relating to emotional or mental distress. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is concerned about a situation or person, and can also imply a deep, lingering sadness.
Strokes13Radical心Frequency#6255DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing feelings of worry or concern is often seen as a sign of caring for others. It’s common to hear phrases like '别愁了' (don't worry) as a form of comfort among friends and family, reflecting the value placed on emotional support.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person holding their head in their hands, overwhelmed by worries and anxieties. The left part of the character, '心' (heart), signifies emotions, while the right part is a phonetic indicator. Visualize the heart weighed down by heavy clouds of worry — that's '愁' (chóu).
Meanings of 愁
chóu(chou2)
1to worry about
2anxious, worried
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 愁
愁Simplified
13Strokes
心Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#6255Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 愁
Podcast: 愁
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AI Study Notes for 愁
Quick Contrast
愁 (chóu) vs 忧 (yōu) — use 愁 when expressing a more personal or emotional worry, while 忧 conveys a broader sense of concern or anxiety.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 愁 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu) or 伤心 (shāngxīn), which can also mean worry but have slightly different connotations. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, so be mindful of the tone. Common collocations include '愁眉苦脸' (chóuméi kǔliǎn), meaning to have a worried expression.
HSK Study Tips
While 愁 is not included in the official HSK list, it connects well with other emotions and feelings vocabulary. Students should focus on recognizing its usage in literary contexts, as it often appears in poems and songs, enhancing their understanding of emotional expression in Mandarin.
Common Mistakes
Learners might mistakenly use 愁 with a positive context, thinking it means 'care' or 'concern' in a neutral way. For example, saying '我很愁你的成功' (I worry about your success) is incorrect; a better way would be '我很关心你的成功' (I care about your success).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 愁
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How Well Do You Know 愁?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 愁 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
愁 = 心 + 秋. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 愁
IDS Structure⿱秋心
愁Full Character
=
秋Qiu1
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 愁?
How to say to worry about in Chinese
“to worry about” in Chinese is愁chóu
The character 愁 (chóu) describes a feeling of worry or anxiety, often relating to emotional or mental distress. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is concerned about a situation or person, and can also imply a deep, lingering sadness.
When to use 愁
Learners often confuse 愁 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu) or 伤心 (shāngxīn), which can also mean worry but have slightly different connotations. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, so be mindful of the tone. Common collocations include '愁眉苦脸' (chóuméi kǔliǎn), meaning to have a worried expression.
愁 or something close to it
愁 (chóu) vs 忧 (yōu) — use 愁 when expressing a more personal or emotional worry, while 忧 conveys a broader sense of concern or anxiety.
What learners get wrong
Learners might mistakenly use 愁 with a positive context, thinking it means 'care' or 'concern' in a neutral way. For example, saying '我很愁你的成功' (I worry about your success) is incorrect; a better way would be '我很关心你的成功' (I care about your success).
Write 愁
愁
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Grammar Patterns of 愁
愁 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 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.
