憂 meaning and stroke order
Sad, grieving; melancholy, grief
How to write 憂, stroke by stroke
15 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 憂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to worry
- to concern oneself with
- worried
- anxiety
- sorrow
- (literary) to observe mourning
How 憂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 頁 hints at the sound.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 憂
Picture a head 頁 on top, a heart 心 in the middle, and slow dragging feet 夂 at the bottom. When your heart is heavy with worry, your head hangs and your feet drag.
憂 (yōu) is the traditional form. In mainland China you will usually see the simplified 忧, as in 担忧 (dānyōu) and 忧虑 (yōulǜ). It appears mostly in compound words rather than alone. Example: 她很担忧孩子的健康。(Tā hěn dānyōu háizi de jiànkāng.) She is very worried about her child's health.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 憂 with 優 (yōu, excellent), which adds the person radical 亻 on the left and has the same pronunciation. Remember that 優 means good, while 憂 alone means worry.
Common words with 憂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 擔憂 | dānyōu | to worry; to be concerned | HSK 6 |
| 憂鬱 | yōuyù | sullen; depressed; melancholy; dejected | HSK 7-9 |
| 憂慮 | yōulǜ | to worry; anxiety (about) | HSK 7-9 |
| 無憂無慮 | wúyōu-wúlǜ | (idiom) carefree; without worries | HSK 7-9 |
| 憂愁 | yōuchóu | to be worried | HSK 7-9 |
| 後顧之憂 | hòugùzhīyōu | fears of trouble in the rear (idiom); family worries (obstructing freedom of action); worr | HSK 7-9 |
| 憂傷 | yōushāng | distressed; laden with grief | |
| 憂心 | yōuxīn | concerned; worried | |
| 憂鬱症 | yōuyùzhèng | (psychology) depression | |
| 高枕無憂 | gāozhěnwúyōu | to sleep peacefully (idiom); (fig.) to rest easy |
Characters that contain 憂
Learning 憂 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 憂
How many strokes are in 憂?
憂 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 憂 mean?
憂 (yōu) means sad, grieving; melancholy, grief. A common word with it is 担忧 (dānyōu), meaning "to worry; to be concerned".
How do you pronounce 憂?
憂 is pronounced yōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 憂?
The radical of 憂 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 憂 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 憂?
憂 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 忧, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 忧 and 愁?
Both mean worry or sorrow and often combine as 忧愁 (yōuchóu). 忧 leans toward anxious concern about something, such as 担忧, while 愁 (chóu) suggests a gloomy, troubled mood, as in 发愁 (fāchóu) to fret.
Can 忧 be used by itself as a verb in modern Chinese?
It is uncommon in everyday speech, where people say 担心 (dānxīn) or 担忧 instead. Standalone 忧 appears mainly in written or literary style and in set phrases like 无忧无虑 (wúyōu-wúlǜ) carefree.