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吓 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
吓
hè
to scare
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
hè
to frighten
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
hè
to intimidate
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
hè
to threaten
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
hè
(interjection showing disapproval) tut-tut
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
hè
(interjection showing astonishment)
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
xià
to scare
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
xià
to frighten
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
xià
to intimidate
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
xià
to threaten
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
xià
(interjection showing disapproval) tut-tut
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
吓
xià
(interjection showing astonishment)
HSK 6, v, 6 strokes, radical 口, rank #910, Hard
hè(he4)he
primary
T4
1to scare
2to frighten
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
吓(嚇)hè(he4)
The character 吓 (hè) means to frighten or scare someone. It is commonly used in contexts where someone experiences fear or intimidation, either from a person or a situation. This character can also be used as an interjection to express astonishment or disapproval.
Strokes6Radical口Frequency#910DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In traditional Chinese culture, ghost stories are popular, especially during festivals like the Hungry Ghost Festival, where the concept of scaring or being scared has deep roots. The character 吓 reflects this cultural practice, as it is often used in tales of fright.
Memory tip
Imagine a person who is so scared that they let out a 'huh!' sound. The character 吓 has the radical for 'mouth' (口) on the left, suggesting the act of expressing fear, while the right side resembles a person being startled. Visualize a scary ghost that makes you 'hè' in fright.
Meanings of 吓
hè(he4)
primary
1to scare
2to frighten
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 吓
吓Simplified
嚇Traditional
6Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#910Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 吓
Podcast: 吓
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AI study notes for 吓
Quick Contrast
吓 (hè) vs 惊 (jīng) — use 吓 when the focus is on causing fear in someone, while 惊 emphasizes the feeling of surprise or shock itself.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 吓 with similar characters like 恐 (kǒng) which means fear or terror. Remember that 吓 is more about the act of frightening someone rather than the feeling of fear itself. It’s used in both formal and informal contexts, but be cautious with tone, as the fourth tone can change the meaning.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, 吓 connects to other vocabulary related to emotions and reactions, such as 怕 (pà, to be afraid) and 恐惧 (kǒngjù, fear). Students should focus on using 吓 in sentences that describe experiences of fear or surprising situations to gain fluency.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misuse 吓 by confusing it with the verb 'to fear' (怕, pà). For example, saying '我吓这个电影' (Wǒ hè zhège diànyǐng) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我怕这个电影' (Wǒ pà zhège diànyǐng), meaning 'I am afraid of this movie.'
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 吓
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Knowing 吓 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.
吓 = 口 + 下. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 吓
IDS Structure⿰口下
吓Full character
=
口kou3
left
下xia4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 吓?
How to say to scare in Chinese
“to scare” in Chinese is吓hè
The character 吓 (hè) means to frighten or scare someone. It is commonly used in contexts where someone experiences fear or intimidation, either from a person or a situation. This character can also be used as an interjection to express astonishment or disapproval.
When to use 吓
Learners often confuse 吓 with similar characters like 恐 (kǒng) which means fear or terror. Remember that 吓 is more about the act of frightening someone rather than the feeling of fear itself. It’s used in both formal and informal contexts, but be cautious with tone, as the fourth tone can change the meaning.
吓 or something close to it
吓 (hè) vs 惊 (jīng) — use 吓 when the focus is on causing fear in someone, while 惊 emphasizes the feeling of surprise or shock itself.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 吓 by confusing it with the verb 'to fear' (怕, pà). For example, saying '我吓这个电影' (Wǒ hè zhège diànyǐng) is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我怕这个电影' (Wǒ pà zhège diànyǐng), meaning 'I am afraid of this movie.'
Write 吓
吓
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Practice writing 吓 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 吓
吓 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 6 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.
The baby was filled with alarm at the darkness and the noise.
7
他有一副能把所有人都吓得那个什么滚什么流的火爆脾气。
tā yǒu yī fù néng bǎ suǒyǒu rén dōu hè de nàge shénme gǔn shénme liú de huǒbào píqi。
He's got that fiery temper which scares the whatsit out of everybody.
8
它真让人讨厌，快把我的狗吓死了。
tā zhēn ràng rén tǎoyàn， kuài bǎ wǒ de gǒu hè sǐ le。
It's a blooming nuisance because it frightens my dog to death.
9
那真够吓人的。
nà zhēn gòu hè rén de。
That's really sick.
10
严重的惊吓会造成痤疮突发。
yánzhòng de jīngxià huì zàochéng cuó chuāng tūfā。
Severe shock can bring on an attack of acne.
vto frighten6
11
那部恐怖电影真是吓得我心跳加速。
Nà bù kǒngbù diànyǐng zhēn shì xià de wǒ xīntiào jiāsù.
That horror movie really frightened me and made my heart race.
12
小孩子们突然从后面跳出来，吓了我一大跳。
Xiǎoháizi men tūrán cóng hòumiàn tiào chūlái, xià le wǒ yí dà tiào.
The kids suddenly jumped out from behind me, giving me a big fright.
13
他用一个假蜘蛛吓唬了他的妹妹，结果她尖叫了。
Tā yòng yī gè jiǎ zhīzhū xiàhǔle tā de mèimei, jiéguǒ tā jiānjiàole.
He frightened his sister with a fake spider, and she screamed.
14
这个故事太恐怖了，吓得我晚上都不敢一个人睡。
Zhège gùshì tài kǒngbù le, xià de wǒ wǎnshàng dōu bù gǎn yī gè rén shuì.
This story was so scary that I was too frightened to sleep alone at night.
15
他突然大喊一声，吓得我们都退后了一步。
Tā tūrán dà hǎn yī shēng, xià de wǒmen dōu tuìhòu le yī bù.
He suddenly shouted loudly, frightening us all to take a step back.
16
听到窗外的敲击声，我吓得心都跳出来了。
Tīng dào chuāngwài de qiāojī shēng, wǒ xià de xīn dōu tiào chū lái le.
Hearing the knocking outside the window, I was so frightened that my heart nearly jumped out.
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Word Family of 吓
Words containing this character10
吓hèto scare嚇
吓坏xiàhuàito be really frightened嚇壞
恐吓kǒnghèto threaten恐嚇
吓唬xiàhuto scare嚇唬
惊吓jīngxiàto frighten驚嚇
吓倒xiàdǎoto be frightened嚇倒
吓一跳xiàyítiàostartled嚇一跳
恫吓dònghèto intimidate恫嚇
威吓wēihèto threaten威嚇
杀鸡吓猴shājīxiàhóupour encourager les autres殺雞嚇猴
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 吓
What does 吓坏 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 吓
Some synonyms for 吓 include 威胁 (wēixié), which means 'to threaten,' and 恐吓 (kǒnghè), meaning 'to intimidate.' These words can be used in similar contexts where fear or intimidation is involved.
Yes, 吓 is commonly used in everyday conversation, especially to express surprise or fear. For example, you might hear it when someone is startled or when discussing something frightening.
吓 (hè, xià) means 'to scare' or 'to frighten.' It can also imply intimidating or threatening someone. In addition, it can be used as an interjection to express disapproval or astonishment.
To use 吓 in a sentence, you can say 吓我一跳 (xià wǒ yī tiào), which means 'It scared me.' You can also use it to express that someone has intimidated or frightened another person, like 我被吓到了 (wǒ bèi xià dào le) meaning 'I was frightened.'
You can use it like this: '他吓了我一跳' (Tā hè le wǒ yī tiào) meaning 'He scared me.'
No, 吓 can also describe being astonished, like saying '吓到我了' (Hè dào wǒ le), meaning 'I was shocked.'
Common phrases include '吓唬' (hèhu) meaning 'to frighten' and '吓一跳' (hè yī tiào) meaning 'to give someone a fright.'
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