Meanings of 驚
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About 驚
Podcast: 驚
Podcast: 驚
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AI Study Notes for 驚
惊 (jīng) vs 吓 (xià) — use 惊 for surprise or alarm, while 吓 specifically implies causing fear.
Learners often confuse 驚 with similar characters like 惊 (jīng), which has the same pronunciation but is used in different contexts. 驚 is generally more formal and literary, while 惊 is more commonly used in everyday speech. Pay attention to the tone; a misplaced tone can change the meaning completely.
Although 驚 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects with other HSK terms that involve emotions or reactions, such as 高兴 (gāoxìng - happy) and 生气 (shēngqì - angry). Students should focus on the emotional context in which 驚 is used.
Learners sometimes confuse 驚 with 惊, leading to incorrect usage in contexts. For example, saying '我被驚了！' (Wǒ bèi jīngle!) instead of '我被惊了！' (Wǒ bèi jīngle!) is incorrect; the latter is the proper form for 'I was startled!'.
Pronunciation of 驚
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Etymology of 驚
Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 京 represents the sound. Simplified form of 驚.
horse
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 驚
Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 京 represents the sound. Simplified form of 驚.
- 1The meaning half馬 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half敬 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayhorse
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 驚? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 驚?
Decomposition of 驚
Identify the Components
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How to say to frighten, to startle; surprise, alarm in Chinese
“to frighten, to startle; surprise, alarm” in Chinese is驚
The character 驚 (jīng) means to frighten or startle someone, often implying a sudden or unexpected event that causes surprise or alarm. It is commonly used in contexts where a person experiences shock or is taken aback by something unexpected.
When to use 驚
Learners often confuse 驚 with similar characters like 惊 (jīng), which has the same pronunciation but is used in different contexts. 驚 is generally more formal and literary, while 惊 is more commonly used in everyday speech. Pay attention to the tone; a misplaced tone can change the meaning completely.
驚 or something close to it
惊 (jīng) vs 吓 (xià) — use 惊 for surprise or alarm, while 吓 specifically implies causing fear.
What learners get wrong
Learners sometimes confuse 驚 with 惊, leading to incorrect usage in contexts. For example, saying '我被驚了！' (Wǒ bèi jīngle!) instead of '我被惊了！' (Wǒ bèi jīngle!) is incorrect; the latter is the proper form for 'I was startled!'.
Write 驚
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Practice writing 驚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 驚
Compound Meaning
What does 惊喜 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 驚
You can say '他惊了我' (Tā jīngle wǒ) which means 'He startled me.'
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