Meaning of 担忧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to worry; to be concerned
How to use 担忧
担忧 is more formal and written than 担心 (dānxīn). It often appears in news, reports, and serious conversation about health, the economy, or the future. Example: 专家对经济前景表示担忧。(Zhuānjiā duì jīngjì qiánjǐng biǎoshì dānyōu.) Experts expressed concern about the economic outlook.
担 (dān) means to carry a load on your shoulder, and 忧 (yōu) means worry or sorrow. Picture yourself carrying worry like a heavy load, and you have 担忧, to worry.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 担 as dàn because of the noun 担子 (dànzi, a load carried on a pole), but in 担忧 it is first tone, dān. Also, 忧 (yōu) is easy to confuse with 优 (yōu, excellent), which has the person radical 亻 instead of the heart radical 忄.
担忧 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.
担 dān · to undertake · 8 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 8
忧 yōu · sad · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 担忧.
| 担心 | dānxīn | anxious; worried |
| 承担 | chéngdān | to undertake; to assume (responsibility etc) |
| 负担 | fùdān | to bear (an expense, a responsibility etc); burden |
| 担任 | dānrèn | to hold a governmental office or post; to assume office of |
| 担保 | dānbǎo | to guarantee; to vouch for |
| 忧郁 | yōuyù | sullen; depressed; melancholy; dejected |
| 忧虑 | yōulǜ | to worry; anxiety (about) |
| 担当 | dāndāng | to take upon oneself; to assume |
| 分担 | fēndān | to share (a burden, a cost, a responsibility) |
| 无忧无虑 | wúyōu-wúlǜ | (idiom) carefree; without worries |
| 忧愁 | yōuchóu | to be worried |
| 担子 | dànzi | carrying pole and the loads on it; burden |
Questions about 担忧
What does 担忧 mean?
担忧 (dānyōu) means "to worry; to be concerned" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 担忧?
担忧 is made of 2 characters: 担 (8 strokes), 忧 (7 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 担忧 an HSK word?
Yes. 担忧 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 担忧 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 担忧 is written 擔憂.
What is the difference between 担忧 and 担心?
Both mean to worry, but 担心 is the everyday spoken word, as in 别担心 (bié dānxīn, don't worry). 担忧 sounds more formal and often describes deeper or broader concern, so you would rarely say 别担忧 in casual speech.
Can 担忧 be used as a noun?
Yes. It often works like a noun meaning concern, especially after verbs like 表示 (biǎoshì, to express) or 引起 (yǐnqǐ, to cause). For example, 引起担忧 (yǐnqǐ dānyōu) means to raise concern.