Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
愁chóu(chou2)
The character 愁 (chóu) describes a feeling of worry or anxiety, often relating to emotional or mental distress. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is concerned about a situation or person, and can also imply a deep, lingering sadness.
Strokes13Radical心Frequency#6255DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing feelings of worry or concern is often seen as a sign of caring for others. It’s common to hear phrases like '别愁了' (don't worry) as a form of comfort among friends and family, reflecting the value placed on emotional support.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person holding their head in their hands, overwhelmed by worries and anxieties. The left part of the character, '心' (heart), signifies emotions, while the right part is a phonetic indicator. Visualize the heart weighed down by heavy clouds of worry — that's '愁' (chóu).
Meanings of 愁
chóu(chou2)
1to worry about
2anxious, worried
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 愁
愁Simplified
13Strokes
心Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#6255Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 愁
Podcast: 愁
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 愁
Quick Contrast
愁 (chóu) vs 忧 (yōu) — use 愁 when expressing a more personal or emotional worry, while 忧 conveys a broader sense of concern or anxiety.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 愁 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu) or 伤心 (shāngxīn), which can also mean worry but have slightly different connotations. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, so be mindful of the tone. Common collocations include '愁眉苦脸' (chóuméi kǔliǎn), meaning to have a worried expression.
HSK Study Tips
While 愁 is not included in the official HSK list, it connects well with other emotions and feelings vocabulary. Students should focus on recognizing its usage in literary contexts, as it often appears in poems and songs, enhancing their understanding of emotional expression in Mandarin.
Common Mistakes
Learners might mistakenly use 愁 with a positive context, thinking it means 'care' or 'concern' in a neutral way. For example, saying '我很愁你的成功' (I worry about your success) is incorrect; a better way would be '我很关心你的成功' (I care about your success).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 愁
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 愁 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 心 represents the meaning and 秋 represents the sound.
1The meaning half心 carries the sense.
2The sound half秋 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 愁? 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 愁?
Decomposition of 愁
IDS Structure⿱秋心
愁Full Character
=
秋Qiu1
top
心xin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 愁?
How to say to worry about in Chinese
“to worry about” in Chinese is愁chóu
The character 愁 (chóu) describes a feeling of worry or anxiety, often relating to emotional or mental distress. It is commonly used in contexts where someone is concerned about a situation or person, and can also imply a deep, lingering sadness.
When to use 愁
Learners often confuse 愁 with similar characters like 忧 (yōu) or 伤心 (shāngxīn), which can also mean worry but have slightly different connotations. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, so be mindful of the tone. Common collocations include '愁眉苦脸' (chóuméi kǔliǎn), meaning to have a worried expression.
愁 or something close to it
愁 (chóu) vs 忧 (yōu) — use 愁 when expressing a more personal or emotional worry, while 忧 conveys a broader sense of concern or anxiety.
What learners get wrong
Learners might mistakenly use 愁 with a positive context, thinking it means 'care' or 'concern' in a neutral way. For example, saying '我很愁你的成功' (I worry about your success) is incorrect; a better way would be '我很关心你的成功' (I care about your success).
Write 愁
愁
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 愁 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 愁
愁 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.
