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憷 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
憷chùpainful; privation, sufferingg, 16 strokes, radical 忄
憷chùto be afraidunknown, 16 strokes, radical 忄
chù(chu4) T4
  1. 1painful; privation, suffering
  2. 2to be afraid
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

憷chù(chu4)

The character 憷 (chù) refers to feelings of pain, suffering, or fear. It is often used in contexts relating to emotional or physical distress. This character conveys a deep sense of discomfort or unease, making it suitable for discussing both mental states and challenging situations.

Strokes16Radical忄
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, emotional states like fear or sadness are believed to have physical manifestations, linking the concept of suffering to both mental and physical health. This reflects a holistic view of health in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'chubby' person ('chù' sounds like 'chubby') who is afraid of a painful bee sting. Visualize the chubby figure running away from a bee, feeling both pain and fear, which connects the character's meaning to its pronunciation.

Meanings of 憷

chù(chu4)
1painful; privation, suffering
2to be afraid
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 憷

憷Simplified
16Strokes
忄Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 憷

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Podcast: 憷

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AI Study Notes for 憷

Usage Notes

Be cautious as 憷 may sound similar to other characters with different meanings, which can lead to confusion. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation, so usage might be more formal or literary. Common collocations include expressions of emotional distress or descriptions of fear.

HSK Study Tips

This character is not yet included in the HSK levels, but understanding it can enhance emotional vocabulary. Focus on its use in literature or poetry, where feelings of suffering or fear are often explored.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 憷 (chù) with 痛 (tòng), which also means pain but has different nuances. For instance, saying '我感到痛' (Wǒ gǎndào tòng) would be more straightforward for expressing physical pain, while 憷 emphasizes emotional suffering.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 憷

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Etymology of 憷

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A pained 楚 heart 忄; 楚 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 憷

  1. 1The giveawayA pained 楚 heart 忄; 楚 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 憷? 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 憷?

Decomposition of 憷

IDS Structure⿰忄楚
憷Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
楚Chu3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 憷?

How to say painful; privation, suffering in Chinese

“painful; privation, suffering” in Chinese is憷chù

The character 憷 (chù) refers to feelings of pain, suffering, or fear. It is often used in contexts relating to emotional or physical distress. This character conveys a deep sense of discomfort or unease, making it suitable for discussing both mental states and challenging situations.

When to use 憷

Be cautious as 憷 may sound similar to other characters with different meanings, which can lead to confusion. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation, so usage might be more formal or literary. Common collocations include expressions of emotional distress or descriptions of fear.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 憷 (chù) with 痛 (tòng), which also means pain but has different nuances. For instance, saying '我感到痛' (Wǒ gǎndào tòng) would be more straightforward for expressing physical pain, while 憷 emphasizes emotional suffering.

Write 憷

憷

Practice writing 憷 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 憷

憷 carries 2 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

对于主教来说,要迁往布拉格有点儿令人发____。

The move to Prague was a daunting prospect for the bishop.

Example Sentences for 憷 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
对于主教来说,要迁往布拉格有点儿令人发憷。

duì yú zhǔ jiào lái shuō, , yào qiān wǎng bù lā gé yǒu diǎn ér líng rén fā。

The move to Prague was a daunting prospect for the bishop.

Word Family of 憷

Words Containing This Character4
憷chùto be afraid
发憷to feel terrified發憷
犯憷to be afraid
打憷to fear
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 憷 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 憷

You can say '我感到憷' (Wǒ gǎndào chù) meaning 'I feel pain/suffering.'

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