Meaning of 愁
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to worry about
How to use 愁
愁 is often used as a verb meaning to worry about something, and it can take an object directly. In everyday speech people also say 发愁 (fāchóu) or 犯愁 (fànchóu). Example: 他正愁找不到工作。(Tā zhèng chóu zhǎo bu dào gōngzuò.) He is worried that he can't find a job.
愁 (chóu) is 秋 (qiū, autumn) sitting on top of 心 (xīn, heart). Picture falling autumn leaves weighing down your heart, and you have the feeling of worry and sadness.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 秋 alone or put 心 on the left as 忄. In 愁, 心 always sits at the bottom under 秋. Also keep the second tone in chóu, not the first tone of qiū.
愁 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
愁 chóu · to worry about · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 愁.
Questions about 愁
What does 愁 mean?
愁 (chóu) means "to worry about" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 愁?
愁 is made of 1 character: 愁 (13 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 愁 an HSK word?
Yes. 愁 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 愁 and 担心 (dānxīn)?
担心 is the most common neutral word for worry. 愁 feels stronger and more literary, often suggesting a heavy, troubled mood or a practical problem you can't solve, like 愁钱 (chóu qián, to worry about money).
What does 愁眉苦脸 describe?
It describes someone with a knitted brow and a miserable face, looking visibly worried or unhappy. For example: 别愁眉苦脸的。(Bié chóuméi-kǔliǎn de.) Don't look so glum.