惦念 (diàn niàn) — to think about with concern; to miss and worry about

Definition

惦念 means to miss someone and quietly worry about them — a deeper, more anxious longing than 想念 (which is just 'to miss'). The subject is typically left behind while the person is far away or in danger.

verb
to think about with concernto miss and worry about

Examples

  • 惦念。
    Tā yì zhí zài diàn niàn yuǎn zài jiā xiāng de fù mǔ.
    He has been thinking about his parents who are far away in his hometown.
  • 惦念。
    Wǒ shí fēn diàn niàn fēn bié duō nián de lǎo tóng xué.
    I really miss and worry about my old classmates I parted from years ago.
  • ，惦念。
    Tā chū mén hòu, mǔ qīn zǒng shì diàn niàn tā de ān quán.
    After she left, her mother was always worried about her safety.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

惦diànthink of with worry
念niànthink of

惦 and 念 both mean thinking of someone with concern, together expressing missing and worry.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
店
店diàn惦diàn
Same sound today

The left part 忄, a form of 心, points to feeling or concern, while the right part 店 gives the character's sound.

Open 惦 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

念 combines 今, an upside-down mouth, with 心, the heart, to listen to one's heart.

Open 念 →

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