憾事 (hàn shì) — a matter of regret

Definition

憾事 is a literary, formal word for 'a matter for regret' — a specific past event or fact one feels sorry about. It is weightier than the everyday 后悔 (regret felt), referring to the regretted thing itself rather than the feeling.

noun
a matter of regret

Examples

  • 憾事。
    Tā zuì dà de hàn shì shì méi yǒu hǎo hǎo hé fù mǔ gào bié.
    His biggest regret is not saying goodbye to his parents properly.
  • 憾事。
    Zhè jiàn shì biàn chéng le tā yì shēng de hàn shì.
    This incident became a lifelong regret for him.
  • 憾事，。
    Tā tí qǐ nà jiàn hàn shì, réng rán hěn shāng xīn.
    When she brings up that regrettable matter, she is still very sad.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

憾hànregret
事shìmatter

憾 expresses regret and 事 expresses matter, together meaning a matter of regret.

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xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
感
感gǎn憾hàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

憾 pairs 忄 (the heart/mind form of 心) with 感, which gives the sound.

Open 憾 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.