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憂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
憂yōusad, grieving; melancholy, griefx, 15 strokes, radical 心
yōu(you1)you T1
  1. 1sad, grieving; melancholy, grief
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March 24, 2026

憂yōu(you1)

The character 憂 (yōu) conveys feelings of sadness, melancholy, or grief. It is commonly used to describe emotional distress or worry, often in contexts related to loss or concern for someone’s well-being. This word can evoke a sense of deep emotional reflection.

Strokes15Radical心
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing emotions like sadness is often done in a subtle manner, and the concept of 憂 reflects the importance of emotional depth in poetic and literary works. This character is frequently found in classical literature that deals with themes of loss and nostalgia.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person sitting under a tree, looking downcast, with a cloud above them, symbolizing their heavy heart. The character 憂 has the 'heart' radical (心) at the bottom, indicating that it relates to emotions and feelings, while the top part suggests a sense of heaviness.

Meanings of 憂

yōu(you1)
1sad, grieving; melancholy, grief
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 憂 means.

About 憂

憂Simplified
15Strokes
心Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 憂

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Podcast: 憂

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AI Study Notes for 憂

Quick Contrast

忧 (yōu) vs 忧虑 (yōulǜ) — use 憂 for deeper emotional distress rather than general worry.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 憂 with 喜 (xǐ), which means joy, due to their emotional connotations. It's important to use 憂 in more serious or formal contexts, such as literature or discussions about mental health. Be cautious with tones; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

While 憂 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it can be connected to words like 快乐 (kuàilè, happiness) or 悲伤 (bēishāng, sadness) for emotional context. Students should focus on understanding emotional vocabulary as they progress in their language studies.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly write 憂 as 忧 in contexts where traditional characters are preferred. Additionally, some may use it interchangeably with words like 哀 (āi, sorrow), which has a slightly different nuance. It's essential to understand the context when choosing between these terms.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 憂

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Etymology of 憂

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

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 尤 represents the sound. Simplified form of 憂.

Memory Hint

heart

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

Origin

憂 = 忄 + 頁. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 憂

IDS Structure⿱⿱頁心夂
憂Full Character
=
頁ye4
top
心xin1
bottom
夂zhi3
Exercise 1 of 3

Parts

Which of these is part of 憂?

How to say sad, grieving; melancholy, grief in Chinese

“sad, grieving; melancholy, grief” in Chinese is憂yōu

The character 憂 (yōu) conveys feelings of sadness, melancholy, or grief. It is commonly used to describe emotional distress or worry, often in contexts related to loss or concern for someone’s well-being. This word can evoke a sense of deep emotional reflection.

When to use 憂

Learners often confuse 憂 with 喜 (xǐ), which means joy, due to their emotional connotations. It's important to use 憂 in more serious or formal contexts, such as literature or discussions about mental health. Be cautious with tones; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

憂 or something close to it

忧 (yōu) vs 忧虑 (yōulǜ) — use 憂 for deeper emotional distress rather than general worry.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly write 憂 as 忧 in contexts where traditional characters are preferred. Additionally, some may use it interchangeably with words like 哀 (āi, sorrow), which has a slightly different nuance. It's essential to understand the context when choosing between these terms.

Write 憂

憂

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Word Family of 憂

Words Containing This Character20
担忧dānyōuto worry擔憂
忧郁yōuyùsullen憂鬱
忧伤distressed憂傷
忧yōuto worry憂
忧虑yōulǜto worry憂慮
忧愁yōuchóuto be worried憂愁
无忧无虑wúyōuwúlǜcarefree and without worries (idiom)無憂無慮
忧心忡忡deeply worried and sick at heart (idiom)憂心忡忡
后顾之忧hòugùzhīyōuworries about the future consequences後顧之憂
忧心concerned憂心
高枕无忧to sleep peacefully (idiom)高枕無憂
杞人忧天man of Qǐ fears the sky falling (idiom); groundless fears杞人憂天
排忧解难to resolve a difficult situation and leave worries behind (idiom)排憂解難
堪忧worrying堪憂
喜忧参半to have mixed feelings (about sth)喜憂參半
隐忧secret concern隱憂
分忧to share tribulations分憂
烦忧to worry煩憂
忧郁症(psychology) depression憂鬱症
忧患suffering憂患
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 憂

What does 担忧 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 憂

There is no difference; 忧 is the simplified form of 憂, and both mean the same thing.

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