Meaning
愁 expresses a deep sense of worry, anxiety, or melancholy. It conveys emotional distress about problems, difficulties, or uncertain situations. The character combines 'autumn' (秋) and 'heart' (心), suggesting the melancholic feeling associated with autumn.
Usage
愁 is more literary and emotional than casual worry words like 担心. It often appears in poetry, literary writing, and formal contexts. Common in compound words like 发愁 (to worry) and 忧愁 (melancholy). Native speakers use it to express genuine emotional distress rather than minor concerns.
Examples
- 01他最近为找工作的事情发愁。.He's been worrying about finding a job recently.
- 02诗人的眼中充满了忧愁。.The poet's eyes were filled with melancholy.
Common collocations
- 发愁to worry, to be anxious
- 忧愁melancholy, depressed
- 愁眉苦脸to have a worried/gloomy expression
- 乡愁homesickness, nostalgia
Antonyms
Origin
The character 愁 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The bottom component 心 (heart) provides meaning related to emotions, while the top 秋 (autumn) contributes to pronunciation and evokes the melancholic atmosphere of the autumn season.