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March 24, 2026
憎zēng(zeng1)
The character 憎 (zēng) means to abhor or detest something intensely. It conveys a strong feeling of hatred or aversion, often used in contexts where someone expresses a deep dislike for a person, idea, or situation. This word is more intense than simply 'not liking' something, indicating a profound emotional response.
Strokes15Radical忄Frequency#28896DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing strong emotions like hatred can be seen as socially inappropriate, so people may avoid using 憎 in casual settings. Instead, they might choose softer terms to convey dislike, reflecting a preference for harmony in social interactions.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person (心, xīn, meaning heart) with a dark cloud (the radical 憎) hovering above them, representing the hate they feel. To remember the pronunciation, think of 'zeng' as the sound of a thunderstorm – loud and ominous, like the feeling of strong dislike.
Meanings of 憎
zēng(zeng1)
1to abhor, to detest, to hate
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 憎 means.
About 憎
憎Simplified
15Strokes
忄Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 憎
Podcast: 憎
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AI Study Notes for 憎
Quick Contrast
厌 (yàn, to dislike) - use 憎 when expressing a more intense, deep-seated hatred compared to the milder aversion implied by 厌.
Usage Notes
While 憎 is a strong word, it is important to use it with caution in conversation, as it can come across as very harsh or confrontational. It is often used in formal contexts or serious discussions rather than casual conversation. Common collocations include 憎恨 (zēnghèn, to hate) and 憎恶 (zēngwù, to detest).
HSK Study Tips
Though 憎 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with other emotional words like 爱 (ài, love) and 喜欢 (xǐhuān, like) at HSK Level 2 and 3. Focus on understanding the context in which strong emotions are expressed in Mandarin.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 憎 with the milder 恨 (hèn), using it inappropriately in casual contexts. For example, saying '我憎这个电影' (I hate this movie) sounds overly harsh; a softer expression would be '我不喜欢这个电影' (I don't like this movie).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 憎
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How Well Do You Know 憎?
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Learning Lab
Knowing 憎 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.
憎 = 忄 + 曾. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 憎
IDS Structure⿰忄曾
憎Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
曾ceng2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 憎?
How to say to abhor, to detest, to hate in Chinese
“to abhor, to detest, to hate” in Chinese is憎zēng
The character 憎 (zēng) means to abhor or detest something intensely. It conveys a strong feeling of hatred or aversion, often used in contexts where someone expresses a deep dislike for a person, idea, or situation. This word is more intense than simply 'not liking' something, indicating a profound emotional response.
When to use 憎
While 憎 is a strong word, it is important to use it with caution in conversation, as it can come across as very harsh or confrontational. It is often used in formal contexts or serious discussions rather than casual conversation. Common collocations include 憎恨 (zēnghèn, to hate) and 憎恶 (zēngwù, to detest).
憎 or something close to it
厌 (yàn, to dislike) - use 憎 when expressing a more intense, deep-seated hatred compared to the milder aversion implied by 厌.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 憎 with the milder 恨 (hèn), using it inappropriately in casual contexts. For example, saying '我憎这个电影' (I hate this movie) sounds overly harsh; a softer expression would be '我不喜欢这个电影' (I don't like this movie).
Write 憎
憎
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Grammar Patterns of 憎
憎 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. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
他为某些思想较守旧的官员所____恶。
He is loathed by some of the more traditionally minded officers.
Example Sentences for 憎 (9)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他为某些思想较守旧的官员所憎恶。
tā wéi mǒu xiē sī xiǎng jiào shǒu jiù de guān yuán suǒ zēng è。
He is loathed by some of the more traditionally minded officers.
2
他可能是这个县里最遭人憎恨的人.
tā kě néng shì zhè gè xiàn lǐ zuì zāo rén zēng hèn de rén.
He's probably the most hated man in this county.
3
他们急切地想要表明自己对种族主义的憎恨。
tā mén jí qiē dì xiǎng yào biǎo míng zì jǐ duì zhǒng zú zhǔ yì de zēng hèn。
They are anxious to show their abhorrence of racism.
