懊 meaning and stroke order
Vexed; regretful; nervous
How to write 懊, 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 懊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to regret
How 懊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 奥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 懊
The heart radical 忄 sits beside 奥 (ào), which gives the sound. Picture a heart sinking deep inside you when you think about something you wish you had not done.
懊 almost never appears alone. It lives in words like 懊悔 (àohuǐ, to regret deeply) and 懊恼 (àonǎo, annoyed, upset), which are a bit written or formal. Example: 他很懊悔说了那句话。(Tā hěn àohuǐ shuō le nà jù huà.) He deeply regrets saying that.
Common mistake: Learners often write 澳 (ào, as in 澳大利亚 Australia) or 奥 (ào, as in 奥运 Olympics) instead of 懊. All three share the same sound. Only 懊 has the heart radical 忄, because it describes a feeling.
Common words with 懊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 懊悔 | àohuǐ | to feel remorse; to repent | |
| 懊恼 | àonǎo | annoyed; vexed |
懊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 懊
How many strokes are in 懊?
懊 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 懊 mean?
懊 (ào) means vexed; regretful; nervous. A common word with it is 懊悔 (àohuǐ), meaning "to feel remorse; to repent".
How do you pronounce 懊?
懊 is pronounced ào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 懊?
The radical of 懊 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 懊 under this radical.
What is the difference between 懊悔 and 后悔?
Both mean to regret. 后悔 (hòuhuǐ) is the everyday word you will hear most in conversation. 懊悔 sounds more literary and suggests a stronger, more painful remorse.
Does 懊恼 mean angry?
Not exactly. 懊恼 (àonǎo) is a mix of frustration and regret, often aimed at yourself or a bad situation. For anger at someone else, 生气 (shēngqì) is more natural.