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懔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
懔lǐnafraid of; in awe ofg, 16 strokes, radical 忄
懔lǐnfearunknown, 16 strokes, radical 忄
lǐn(lin3) T3
  1. 1afraid of; in awe of
  2. 2fear
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

懔(懍)lǐn(lin3)

The character 懔 (lǐn) conveys feelings of fear, awe, or being intimidated. It is often used in contexts where someone is fearful of a situation or holds deep respect for someone or something, indicating a combination of reverence and fear.

Strokes16Radical忄
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, respect for nature and the powerful forces of the universe often evokes feelings of awe and fear, making the concept of 懔 relevant in discussions about spirituality and philosophy.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person standing before a towering mountain, feeling both awe and fear. The character 懔 can be visualized as a mountain (山) looming over a small figure (心) at its base, representing the overwhelming feelings of intimidation and respect.

Meanings of 懔

lǐn(lin3)
1afraid of; in awe of
2fear
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 懔

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

Podcast: 懔

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Podcast: 懔

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 懔

Quick Contrast

惧 (jù) - use 懔 (lǐn) for a sense of awe mixed with fear, while 惧 (jù) emphasizes fear alone.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 懔 with similar characters expressing fear, such as 恐 (kǒng). It is used in more formal contexts, so avoid using it in casual conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '对...感到懔' (feel fear towards...).

HSK Study Tips

Although 懔 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can enhance your understanding of emotional expressions in Mandarin. Focus on how it relates to other words about fear, such as 恐惧 (kǒngjù) and 惊慌 (jīnghuāng).

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 懔 with its phonetic similarity to other characters. For example, using 懔 when they mean 恐惧 is incorrect. Remember, 懔 emphasizes a sense of awe or reverence in addition to fear.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 懔

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Etymology of 懔

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)禀
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 懔

  1. 1The meaning half忄 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half禀 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayheart
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 懔? 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 懔?

Decomposition of 懔

IDS Structure⿰忄禀
懔Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
禀bing3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 懔?

How to say afraid of; in awe of in Chinese

“afraid of; in awe of” in Chinese is懔lǐn

The character 懔 (lǐn) conveys feelings of fear, awe, or being intimidated. It is often used in contexts where someone is fearful of a situation or holds deep respect for someone or something, indicating a combination of reverence and fear.

When to use 懔

Learners often confuse 懔 with similar characters expressing fear, such as 恐 (kǒng). It is used in more formal contexts, so avoid using it in casual conversation. Common collocations include phrases like '对...感到懔' (feel fear towards...).

懔 or something close to it

惧 (jù) - use 懔 (lǐn) for a sense of awe mixed with fear, while 惧 (jù) emphasizes fear alone.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 懔 with its phonetic similarity to other characters. For example, using 懔 when they mean 恐惧 is incorrect. Remember, 懔 emphasizes a sense of awe or reverence in addition to fear.

Write 懔

懔

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 懔

Words Containing This Character1
懔lǐnfear懍
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 懔 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 懔

It is pronounced as lǐn, with a rising tone.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 懔?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.