愁 meaning and stroke order
To worry about
How to write 愁, stroke by stroke
13 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 愁
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to worry about
How 愁 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning and 秋 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 愁
愁 (chóu) is autumn 秋 (qiū) sitting on top of the heart 心 (xīn). The heart 心 gives the meaning of feeling, and 秋 gives the sound, so picture a heavy autumn mood pressing down on your heart.
愁 is used as a verb meaning to worry about something, often followed by what you worry about, and it appears in many common words like 发愁 (fāchóu) and 忧愁 (yōuchóu). Example: 他在为工作发愁。(Tā zài wèi gōngzuò fāchóu.) He is worrying about work.
Common mistake: Learners often drop the 心 at the bottom and write 秋 (qiū, autumn), which changes the word completely. Also remember the tone: 愁 is second tone chóu, unlike 秋, which is first tone qiū.
Common words with 愁
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
愁 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 愁
How many strokes are in 愁?
愁 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 愁 mean?
愁 (chóu) means to worry about. A common word with it is 忧愁 (yōuchóu), meaning "to be worried".
How do you pronounce 愁?
愁 is pronounced chóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 愁?
The radical of 愁 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 愁 under this radical.
Is 愁 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 愁 is part of the HSK 5 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 愁 and 担心?
担心 (dānxīn) is the everyday word for worrying about someone or something. 愁 feels more about being troubled or stuck with a problem, and it often appears in set words like 发愁 or in written and literary style.
What does 愁眉苦脸 mean and when can I use it?
愁眉苦脸 (chóuméi-kǔliǎn) literally means worried eyebrows and a bitter face. Use it to describe someone who looks miserable or anxious, as in 他整天愁眉苦脸的 (Tā zhěngtiān chóuméi-kǔliǎn de), He looks miserable all day.