惊 meaning and stroke order
To startle; to be frightened; to be scared
How to write 惊, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 惊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to startle
- to be frightened
- to be scared
- alarm
How 惊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 京 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 惊
惊 is pictophonetic: the heart radical 忄 on the left shows it is a feeling, and 京 (jīng, capital) on the right gives the sound. Picture a country visitor whose heart jumps when they first see the busy capital.
惊 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It usually appears in words like 吃惊 (chījīng), 惊喜 (jīngxǐ) and 震惊 (zhènjīng). Example: 这个消息让我很吃惊。(Zhège xiāoxi ràng wǒ hěn chījīng.) This news really surprised me.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 亰 or mix it up with 凉 (liáng, cool), which has 冫 on the left instead of 忄. Also keep the first tone in jīng. Do not confuse it with 景 (jǐng, scenery), which has a third tone.
Common words with 惊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吃惊 | chījīng | to be startled; to be shocked | HSK 4 |
| 震惊 | zhènjīng | to shock; to astonish | HSK 5 |
| 惊喜 | jīngxǐ | nice surprise; to be pleasantly surprised | HSK 6 |
| 惊人 | jīngrén | astonishing | HSK 6 |
| 惊讶 | jīngyà | amazed; astonished | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊奇 | jīngqí | to be amazed; to be surprised | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊慌 | jīnghuāng | to panic; to be alarmed | HSK 7-9 |
| 大惊小怪 | dàjīng-xiǎoguài | to make a fuss about nothing (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 大吃一惊 | dàchī-yījīng | (idiom) astounded; flabbergasted; taken aback | HSK 7-9 |
| 受惊 | shòujīng | startled | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊醒 | jīngxǐng | to rouse; to be woken by sth | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊慌失措 | jīnghuāng-shīcuò | to lose one's head out of fear (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊险 | jīngxiǎn | perilous; touch-and-go; nerve-racking; suspenseful | HSK 7-9 |
| 惊叹 | jīngtàn | to exclaim in admiration; a gasp of surprise | HSK 7-9 |
惊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 惊
How many strokes are in 惊?
惊 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 惊 mean?
惊 (jīng) means to startle; to be frightened; to be scared. A common word with it is 吃惊 (chījīng), meaning "to be startled; to be shocked".
How do you pronounce 惊?
惊 is pronounced jīng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 惊?
The radical of 惊 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 惊 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 惊?
The traditional form of 惊 is 驚. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 惊 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 惊 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 惊 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 吃惊 and 惊喜?
吃惊 (chījīng) is a neutral or negative surprise, like being shocked by news. 惊喜 (jīngxǐ) is a happy surprise, and it can also be a noun meaning a pleasant surprise, as in 给你一个惊喜 (gěi nǐ yí gè jīngxǐ), to give you a surprise.
How do you use 大惊小怪 in a sentence?
It describes someone overreacting to something small. For example, 别大惊小怪的 (bié dàjīng-xiǎoguài de) means don't make such a fuss.