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憫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
憫mǐnto pity, to sympathize with; to grieve forx, 15 strokes, radical 忄
mǐn(min3) T3
  1. 1to pity, to sympathize with; to grieve for
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March 24, 2026

憫mǐn(min3)

The character 憫 (mǐn) conveys the meaning of feeling pity or sympathy towards someone else's suffering. It is commonly used in contexts where compassion or understanding of another's plight is expressed, often in literature or discussions about emotional states.

Strokes15Radical忄
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing sympathy and concern for others is highly valued, especially in familial and community contexts. The concept of '同情' (tóngqíng), which means compassion or empathy, is closely related to 憫 and reflects the importance of social harmony.

Memory Tip

Think of 憫 as a combination of '心' (heart) and '敏' (sensitive). Imagine your heart being sensitive to the pain of others, prompting you to feel pity. The 'mǐn' sound can remind you of 'mourn,' relating to grief and empathy.

Meanings of 憫

mǐn(min3)
1to pity, to sympathize with; to grieve for
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 憫

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

Podcast: 憫

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Podcast: 憫

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AI Study Notes for 憫

Quick Contrast

怜 (lián) - use 憫 (mǐn) when emphasizing deep sympathy or compassion, while 怜 (lián) often implies a more tender or affectionate pity.

Usage Notes

This character is typically used in formal contexts, such as literature or serious conversations. A common mistake is confusing it with similar words that denote indifference, so pay attention to the emotional nuance when using it. It is often paired with verbs like '感' (to feel) to express deeper sympathy.

HSK Study Tips

Although 憫 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with other emotional expressions at advanced levels. Focus on understanding how it can be combined with other characters to express complex feelings. This will enhance your ability to discuss emotions in Mandarin.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 憫 with words like '怜' (lián) or '同情' (tóngqíng), which denote sympathy but lack the depth of grief associated with 憫. For example, saying '我怜他' (I pity him) may sound less profound than '我对他感到憫' (I feel pity for him).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 憫

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Etymology of 憫

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

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 闵 represents the sound. Simplified form of 憫.

Memory Hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)閔
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 憫

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 闵 represents the sound. Simplified form of 憫.

  1. 1The meaning half忄 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half閔 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayheart
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 憫? 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 憫?

Decomposition of 憫

IDS Structure⿰忄閔
憫Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
閔min3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 憫?

How to say to pity, to sympathize with; to grieve for in Chinese

“to pity, to sympathize with; to grieve for” in Chinese is憫mǐn

The character 憫 (mǐn) conveys the meaning of feeling pity or sympathy towards someone else's suffering. It is commonly used in contexts where compassion or understanding of another's plight is expressed, often in literature or discussions about emotional states.

When to use 憫

This character is typically used in formal contexts, such as literature or serious conversations. A common mistake is confusing it with similar words that denote indifference, so pay attention to the emotional nuance when using it. It is often paired with verbs like '感' (to feel) to express deeper sympathy.

憫 or something close to it

怜 (lián) - use 憫 (mǐn) when emphasizing deep sympathy or compassion, while 怜 (lián) often implies a more tender or affectionate pity.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 憫 with words like '怜' (lián) or '同情' (tóngqíng), which denote sympathy but lack the depth of grief associated with 憫. For example, saying '我怜他' (I pity him) may sound less profound than '我对他感到憫' (I feel pity for him).

Write 憫

憫

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

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Word Family of 憫

Words Containing This Character6
怜悯pity憐憫
悯mǐnto pity憫
悲悯compassionate悲憫
悲天悯人to bemoan the state of the universe and pity the fate of mankind悲天憫人
悯惜to feel compassion for憫惜
哀悯to take pity on哀憫
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 怜悯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 憫

You can say '我对他的遭遇感到憫' (I feel pity for his plight).

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