() — (bound form) fear; dread

Definition

惧 (jù) is a bound literary form of 'fear' — almost always part of a two-character word (恐惧, 畏惧, 惧怕). Standalone 单字 use is rare; learners will meet it inside compounds.

bound form
feardread

Examples

  • Tā miàn duì wēi xiǎn háo wú jù sè.
    He showed no sign of fear in the face of danger.
  • Cǐ àn lìng zhòng rén jīng jù bù yǐ.
    This case caused everyone to be shocked and terrified.
  • Tā háo wú wèi jù zhī xīn, yǒng gǎn qián xíng.
    He had no fear in his heart and bravely moved forward.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Written in full asxīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

In 惧, the left part is 忄, the heart, and the right part 具 gives the sound.

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