Meaning
怖 is a literary character meaning 'fear' or 'afraid.' It rarely appears alone in modern Mandarin but is a key component in common compound words like 恐怖 (terror) and 可怖 (frightening). The character combines the 'heart' radical 忄 with 布 (cloth), originally suggesting fear spreading through one's heart like cloth unfurling.
Usage
This character is primarily used in written or formal contexts and almost always appears as part of compound words rather than standing alone. In everyday speech, Chinese speakers would use 害怕 or 恐怖 instead. You'll encounter it most often in literary texts, formal writing, or set expressions.
Examples
- 01那场景真是可怖极了。.That scene was truly terrifying.
- 02恐怖电影让人毛骨悚然。.Horror movies make people's hair stand on end.
Common collocations
- 恐怖分子terrorist
- 恐怖主义terrorism
- 恐怖片horror film
Antonyms
Origin
The character consists of the heart radical 忄 (xīn) on the left, indicating emotional content, and 布 (bù, cloth) as the phonetic component. The semantic connection suggests fear spreading through the heart.