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駭 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
駭hàito terrify, to shock, to frightenx, 16 strokes, radical 馬
hài(hai4) T4
  1. 1to terrify, to shock, to frighten
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

駭hài(hai4)

The character 駭 (hài) means to terrify, shock, or frighten someone. It is often used in contexts involving fear or surprise, especially in literature or dramatic situations. For instance, you might use it to describe a startling event or a frightening story.

Strokes16Radical馬
Cultural Note

In Chinese horror literature and films, 駭 often describes the emotional response to supernatural events, reflecting cultural attitudes towards fear and the unknown. This character is frequently employed in ghost stories and folklore.

Memory Tip

Imagine a horse (馬, mǎ) running away from a terrifying sight. The radical for horse (馬) is part of 駭, leading you to connect the idea of a shocking experience with the image of a horse galloping in fear. The pronunciation 'hài' sounds like 'high,' as in a high level of fear.

Meanings of 駭

hài(hai4)
1to terrify, to shock, to frighten
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 駭

駭Simplified
16Strokes
馬Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 駭

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Podcast: 駭

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AI Study Notes for 駭

Quick Contrast

惊 (jīng) — use 駭 (hài) when emphasizing a deeper sense of terror or shock, while 惊 (jīng) conveys a more general sense of surprise.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 駭 with similar-sounding words that indicate surprise but are less intense. It is more appropriate in formal or literary contexts. Common collocations include 駭人 (hàirén) meaning 'to terrify people' and 駭于 (hài yú) meaning 'to be shocked by'.

HSK Study Tips

Though 駭 is not included in HSK levels, it connects to HSK vocabulary related to emotions and reactions. Focus on understanding its usage in conjunction with words expressing fear or surprise, enhancing emotional vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 駭 with 驚 (jīng), which means to surprise but lacks the intense fear aspect. A common error is using 駭 to describe a pleasant surprise, which is incorrect. Instead, use surprised (惊讶, jīngyà).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 駭

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Etymology of 駭

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

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 亥 represents the sound. Simplified form of 駭.

Memory Hint

horse

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 駭

Phonosemantic compound. 马 represents the meaning and 亥 represents the sound. Simplified form of 駭.

  1. 1The meaning half馬 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half亥 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhorse
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 駭? 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 駭?

Decomposition of 駭

IDS Structure⿰馬亥
駭Full Character
=
馬ma3
left
亥hai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 駭?

How to say to terrify, to shock, to frighten in Chinese

“to terrify, to shock, to frighten” in Chinese is駭hài

The character 駭 (hài) means to terrify, shock, or frighten someone. It is often used in contexts involving fear or surprise, especially in literature or dramatic situations. For instance, you might use it to describe a startling event or a frightening story.

When to use 駭

Be careful not to confuse 駭 with similar-sounding words that indicate surprise but are less intense. It is more appropriate in formal or literary contexts. Common collocations include 駭人 (hàirén) meaning 'to terrify people' and 駭于 (hài yú) meaning 'to be shocked by'.

駭 or something close to it

惊 (jīng) — use 駭 (hài) when emphasizing a deeper sense of terror or shock, while 惊 (jīng) conveys a more general sense of surprise.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 駭 with 驚 (jīng), which means to surprise but lacks the intense fear aspect. A common error is using 駭 to describe a pleasant surprise, which is incorrect. Instead, use surprised (惊讶, jīngyà).

Write 駭

駭

Practice writing 駭 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 駭

Words Containing This Character8
骇hàito astonish駭
骇人听闻hàiréntīngwénshocking駭人聽聞
惊骇to be shocked驚駭
惊世骇俗universally shocking驚世駭俗
骇然dumbstruck駭然
惊涛骇浪perilous situation驚濤駭浪
震骇to astonish震駭
骇怕to be afraid駭怕
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 骇 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 駭

It's not commonly used in daily conversation, but you might hear it in discussions about movies or books that are scary.

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