惶 meaning and stroke order
Anxious, nervous, uneasy
How to write 惶, stroke by stroke
12 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 惶
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) fear; dread; anxiety; trepidation
How 惶 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 皇 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 惶
The heart radical 忄 sits beside 皇 (huáng, emperor), which also gives the sound. Picture a heart pounding with fear when standing before the emperor.
惶 is a bound form, so it appears inside words rather than alone. The most common are 惶恐 (huángkǒng) and the idiom 人心惶惶 (rénxīn huánghuáng). Example: 消息传开后，人心惶惶。(Xiāoxi chuánkāi hòu, rénxīn huánghuáng.) After the news spread, everyone was anxious.
Common mistake: Learners confuse 惶 with 煌 (huáng, brilliant, as in 辉煌) and 徨 (huáng, as in 彷徨). They share the same sound and the 皇 part, so check the left side: 忄 heart for fear, 火 fire for brightness, 彳 step for wandering.
Common words with 惶
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 惶恐 | huángkǒng | terrified | |
| 人心惶惶 | rénxīnhuánghuáng | (idiom) everyone is anxious; (of a group of people) to feel anxious |
Questions about 惶
How many strokes are in 惶?
惶 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 惶 mean?
惶 (huáng) means anxious, nervous, uneasy. A common word with it is 惶恐 (huángkǒng), meaning "terrified".
How do you pronounce 惶?
惶 is pronounced huáng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 惶?
The radical of 惶 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 惶 under this radical.
Can I say 我很惶 to mean I am nervous?
No. 惶 does not stand alone in modern Chinese. Say 我很惶恐 for a formal tone, or more casually 我很紧张 (jǐnzhāng) or 我很不安 (bù'ān).
What is the difference between 惶恐 and 害怕?
害怕 (hàipà) is the everyday word for being afraid. 惶恐 is more formal and literary, often suggesting nervous unease, and it appears in polite phrases such as 诚惶诚恐 (chéng huáng chéng kǒng), meaning extremely humble and anxious.