怵 (chù) — (bound form) frightened, intimidated
Definition
怵 (chù) is a bound form meaning 'frightened/intimidated', used almost only in the common collocation 发怵. It is more vivid and emotional than 怕 — closer to 'feel daunted' than a plain statement of fear.
bound form
frightenedintimidated
Examples
- ，怵。Tā dì yī cì shàng tái yǎn jiǎng, xīn lǐ yǒu diǎn fā chù.He felt a bit intimidated giving a speech on stage for the first time.
- ，怵。Kàn dào nà me duō mò shēng rén, tā yǒu xiē fā chù.Seeing so many strangers, she felt a little frightened.
- ，怵，。Miàn duì kùn nan, bú yào fā chù, yào yǒng gǎn miàn duì.When facing difficulties, don't be intimidated — face them bravely.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
朮
朮zhú怵chù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
怵 has 心 (heart) for the feeling and 朮 to show the sound.
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