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担心 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
担心dānxīnanxiousHSK 3, v, rank #277, Medium
担心dānxīnworriedHSK 3, v, rank #277, Medium
担心dānxīnuneasyHSK 3, v, rank #277, Medium
担心dānxīnto worryHSK 3, v, rank #277, Medium
担心dānxīnto be anxiousHSK 3, v, rank #277, Medium
dānxīn(dan1xin1) T1
  1. 1anxious
  2. 2worried
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March 24, 2026
担心(擔心)dānxīn(dan1xin1)

担心 (dān xīn) means to feel anxious or worried about something. It is commonly used in contexts where there is concern over someone's well-being, potential problems, or uncertain outcomes, reflecting emotional unease.

Frequency#277DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing worry or concern for family and friends is a common social practice, reflecting deep interpersonal bonds and care. The phrase 担心 is often used in familial contexts, highlighting the importance of relationships.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person carrying a heavy burden (担) on their shoulders, which makes them anxious (心). The character 担 resembles a person struggling to lift something, while 心 represents the heart, signifying worry and concern.

Meanings of 担心

dānxīn(dan1xin1)
1anxious
2worried
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 担心

担心Simplified
擔心Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#277Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 担心

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Podcast: 担心

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AI Study Notes for 担心

Quick Contrast

忧虑 (yōulǜ) vs 担心 (dānxīn): use 担心 for more personal or immediate concerns, while 忧虑 conveys a more general or prolonged sense of worry.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a person carrying a heavy burden (担) on their shoulders, which makes them anxious (心). The character 担 resembles a person struggling to lift something, while 心 represents the heart, signifying worry and concern.

Usage Notes

担心 is often used in informal contexts to express personal feelings of anxiety. Be cautious with tone; the first character (dān) is pronounced with a high level tone, and a common mistake is to mispronounce it with a rising tone, which changes the meaning. Common collocations include 担心健康 (worry about health) and 担心考试 (worry about exams).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, 担心 connects well with other vocabulary related to emotions and feelings, such as 开心 (happy) and 难过 (sad). Students should focus on its usage in sentences to express concern effectively.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing worry or concern for family and friends is a common social practice, reflecting deep interpersonal bonds and care. The phrase 担心 is often used in familial contexts, highlighting the importance of relationships.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 担心 with 安心 (ān xīn), which means to feel at ease. For example, saying 我担心我没事 (I worry that I’m fine) is incorrect; it should be 我不担心我没事 (I'm not worried that I'm fine).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 担心

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Component Characters

担dānto undertake
HSK 78 strokes扌
View full entry
心xīnheart
HSK 44 strokes心
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Write 担心

担
心

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

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Grammar Patterns of 担心

担心 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. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

别____，没问题。

Don't worry, no problem.

Example Sentences for 担心 (10)

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1
别担心，我们会很快把你从这儿弄出去的。

bié dān xīn， ， wǒ mén huì hěn kuài bǎ nǐ cóng zhè ér nòng chū qù。

Don't worry. We'll have you out of here double-quick.
2
老实讲，托马斯，你贷款的问题开始让我担心了。

lǎo shí jiǎng， ， tuō mǎ， sī ， nǐ dài kuǎn de wèn tí kāi shǐ ràng wǒ dān。

Frankly, Thomas, this question of your loan is beginning to worry me.
3
别担心，佩林先生，我会保守你的秘密。

bié dān xīn， ， pèi lín xiān， shēng ， wǒ huì bǎo shǒu nǐ de。

Don'tworry, Mr Palin, your secret is safe with me.
4
他们在室外的时候，你不担心吗？

tā mén zài shì wài de shí hòu， ， nǐ bù dān xīn？

Don't you worry about them when they're out of doors?
5
别担心，蒂姆大叔，你将来由我们照顾。

bié dān xīn， ， dì mǔ dà， shū ， nǐ jiāng lái yóu wǒ mén。

Don't worry, Uncle Tim, your future is safe in our hands.
6
“你为什么不告诉我们？”“我不想让你们担心。”

“ “ nǐ wéi shí mó bù gào sù wǒ？”“ mén ？”“ wǒ bù xiǎng ràng nǐ mén。”

"Why didn't you tell us?" — "I didn't want to worry you."
7
人们担心的是科学会成为工业的仆人。

rén mén dān xīn de shì kē xué huì chéng wéi gōng yè de pū rén。

The fear is that science could become the handmaiden of industry.
8
这是好心办错事，可是确实让我担心了一阵子。

zhè shì hǎo xīn bàn cuò shì， ， kě shì què shí ràng wǒ dān xīn le yī zhèn。

This was a genuine mistake, but it did cause me some worry.
9
尽管这辆汽车基本状况良好，我还是担心一些地方不够安全。

jìn guǎn zhè liàng qì chē jī běn zhuàng kuàng liáng hǎo， ， wǒ huán shì dān xīn yī xiē dì fāng bù gòu ān。

Although the car is basically sound, I was worried about certain areas.
10
我相信他肯定非常担心黛安娜。

wǒ xiāng xìn tā kěn dìng fēi cháng dān xīn dài ān nà。

I believe he is most painfully anxious about Diana.

Cultural Notes for 担心

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, expressing worry or concern for family and friends is a common social practice, reflecting deep interpersonal bonds and care. The phrase 担心 is often used in familial contexts, highlighting the importance of relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions about 担心

You can say 我担心他的健康 (I am worried about his health) to express concern.