unknown, 15 strokes, radical 忄, rank #54520, Very Hard
ào(ao4) T4
1vexed; regretful; nervous
2to regret
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March 24, 2026
懊ào(ao4)
The character 懊 (ào) conveys feelings of vexation and regret, often associated with a sense of frustration or nervousness about a situation. It is commonly used to express remorse over actions taken or missed opportunities, and can indicate a deeper emotional state linked to disappointment.
Strokes15Radical忄Frequency#54520DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing regret is often linked to Confucian values of responsibility and reflection. The feeling of 懊 can be seen in various contexts, such as the pressure of meeting familial expectations, where one may feel regret for not achieving certain goals.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person who is feeling vexed, their face scrunched up and their hands in their hair, representing the character 懊. The left side of the character, with the heart radical (心), signifies emotions, while the right part can remind you of the chaotic feeling of regret – both visually and phonetically aligning with 'ào'.
Meanings of 懊
ào(ao4)
1vexed; regretful; nervous
2to regret
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 懊
懊Simplified
15Strokes
忄Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 懊
Podcast: 懊
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AI Study Notes for 懊
Quick Contrast
懊悔 (àohuǐ, to regret) vs 懊恼 (àonǎo, to be vexed) — use 懊 when emphasizing emotional frustration rather than the act of regretting a specific decision.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the context in which you use 懊, as it may convey a strong emotional state. It is more formal and should be used in writing or serious conversations rather than casual chat. Common collocations include 懊恼 (ào nǎo) for 'vexed' and 懊悔 (ào huǐ) for 'to regret'.
HSK Study Tips
While 懊 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it relates to emotions and feelings, which are common themes in HSK level materials. Focus on understanding its emotional nuances and practice using it in sentences where you describe feelings of regret or frustration.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 懊 with similar characters like 怒 (nù), which means 'angry'. For example, saying '我很懊' (I am very vexed) instead of '我很怒' (I am very angry) can lead to misunderstanding of the emotional intensity.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 懊
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Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 奥 represents the sound.
1The meaning half忄 carries the sense.
2The sound half奥 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayheart
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 懊? 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 懊?
Decomposition of 懊
IDS Structure⿰忄奥
懊Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
奥Ao4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 懊?
How to say vexed; regretful; nervous in Chinese
“vexed; regretful; nervous” in Chinese is懊ào
The character 懊 (ào) conveys feelings of vexation and regret, often associated with a sense of frustration or nervousness about a situation. It is commonly used to express remorse over actions taken or missed opportunities, and can indicate a deeper emotional state linked to disappointment.
When to use 懊
Be cautious with the context in which you use 懊, as it may convey a strong emotional state. It is more formal and should be used in writing or serious conversations rather than casual chat. Common collocations include 懊恼 (ào nǎo) for 'vexed' and 懊悔 (ào huǐ) for 'to regret'.
懊 or something close to it
懊悔 (àohuǐ, to regret) vs 懊恼 (àonǎo, to be vexed) — use 懊 when emphasizing emotional frustration rather than the act of regretting a specific decision.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 懊 with similar characters like 怒 (nù), which means 'angry'. For example, saying '我很懊' (I am very vexed) instead of '我很怒' (I am very angry) can lead to misunderstanding of the emotional intensity.
Write 懊
懊
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Practice writing 懊 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 懊
懊 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
她马上就____悔了。“哦，我很抱歉！你一定要原谅我。”
She was instantly contrite. "Oh, I am sorry! You must forgive me."
Example Sentences for 懊 (8)
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1
她马上就懊悔了。“哦，我很抱歉！你一定要原谅我。”
tā mǎ shàng jiù ào huǐ le。“ 。“， ó ， wǒ hěn！ bào qiàn ！ nǐ yī dìng yào。”
She was instantly contrite. "Oh, I am sorry! You must forgive me."
