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March 24, 2026
憎zēng(zeng1)
The character 憎 (zēng) means to abhor or detest something intensely. It conveys a strong feeling of hatred or aversion, often used in contexts where someone expresses a deep dislike for a person, idea, or situation. This word is more intense than simply 'not liking' something, indicating a profound emotional response.
Strokes15Radical忄Frequency#28896DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing strong emotions like hatred can be seen as socially inappropriate, so people may avoid using 憎 in casual settings. Instead, they might choose softer terms to convey dislike, reflecting a preference for harmony in social interactions.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person (心, xīn, meaning heart) with a dark cloud (the radical 憎) hovering above them, representing the hate they feel. To remember the pronunciation, think of 'zeng' as the sound of a thunderstorm – loud and ominous, like the feeling of strong dislike.
Meanings of 憎
zēng(zeng1)
1to abhor, to detest, to hate
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 憎
憎Simplified
15Strokes
忄Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 憎
Podcast: 憎
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AI Study Notes for 憎
Quick Contrast
厌 (yàn, to dislike) - use 憎 when expressing a more intense, deep-seated hatred compared to the milder aversion implied by 厌.
Usage Notes
While 憎 is a strong word, it is important to use it with caution in conversation, as it can come across as very harsh or confrontational. It is often used in formal contexts or serious discussions rather than casual conversation. Common collocations include 憎恨 (zēnghèn, to hate) and 憎恶 (zēngwù, to detest).
HSK Study Tips
Though 憎 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with other emotional words like 爱 (ài, love) and 喜欢 (xǐhuān, like) at HSK Level 2 and 3. Focus on understanding the context in which strong emotions are expressed in Mandarin.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 憎 with the milder 恨 (hèn), using it inappropriately in casual contexts. For example, saying '我憎这个电影' (I hate this movie) sounds overly harsh; a softer expression would be '我不喜欢这个电影' (I don't like this movie).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 憎
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Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 曾 represents the sound.
1The meaning half忄 carries the sense.
2The sound half曾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayheart
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 憎? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 憎?
Decomposition of 憎
IDS Structure⿰忄曾
憎Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
曾ceng2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 憎?
How to say to abhor, to detest, to hate in Chinese
“to abhor, to detest, to hate” in Chinese is憎zēng
The character 憎 (zēng) means to abhor or detest something intensely. It conveys a strong feeling of hatred or aversion, often used in contexts where someone expresses a deep dislike for a person, idea, or situation. This word is more intense than simply 'not liking' something, indicating a profound emotional response.
When to use 憎
While 憎 is a strong word, it is important to use it with caution in conversation, as it can come across as very harsh or confrontational. It is often used in formal contexts or serious discussions rather than casual conversation. Common collocations include 憎恨 (zēnghèn, to hate) and 憎恶 (zēngwù, to detest).
憎 or something close to it
厌 (yàn, to dislike) - use 憎 when expressing a more intense, deep-seated hatred compared to the milder aversion implied by 厌.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 憎 with the milder 恨 (hèn), using it inappropriately in casual contexts. For example, saying '我憎这个电影' (I hate this movie) sounds overly harsh; a softer expression would be '我不喜欢这个电影' (I don't like this movie).
Write 憎
憎
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Practice writing 憎 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 憎
憎 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
他为某些思想较守旧的官员所____恶。
He is loathed by some of the more traditionally minded officers.
Example Sentences for 憎 (9)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他为某些思想较守旧的官员所憎恶。
tā wéi mǒu xiē sī xiǎng jiào shǒu jiù de guān yuán suǒ zēng è。
He is loathed by some of the more traditionally minded officers.
2
他可能是这个县里最遭人憎恨的人.
tā kě néng shì zhè gè xiàn lǐ zuì zāo rén zēng hèn de rén.
He's probably the most hated man in this county.
3
他们急切地想要表明自己对种族主义的憎恨。
tā mén jí qiē dì xiǎng yào biǎo míng zì jǐ duì zhǒng zú zhǔ yì de zēng hèn。
They are anxious to show their abhorrence of racism.
