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发愁 (fā chóu) — to worry, to be anxious

Definition

发愁 (fā chóu) is a vivid verb meaning 'to worry / fret,' often about something specific. Colloquially interchangeable with 担心, but more emphatic — closer to 'fret' than 'worry.'

verb
to worryto be anxious

Examples

  • 发愁，。
    Bié fā chóu le, shì qing huì jiě jué de.
    Don't worry, things will get resolved.
  • ？
    Nǐ zài fā shén me chóu?
    What are you worrying about?
  • 。
    Tā wèi kǎo shì fā le sān tiān chóu.
    He worried about the exam for three days.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

发fāproduce; become
愁chóuworry; grief

The first part means to produce or become filled with, and the second means worry, so together it describes feeling anxious or sad.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
秋
秋qiū愁chóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

愁 combines 秋, which gives the sound, with 心, the heart.

Open 愁 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 5Emotions & Feelings

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