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挂念 (guà niàn) — to be concerned about; to worry about (someone far away); to miss with concern

Definition

挂念 means missing someone with worry — typically a person far away, with a tender, lingering feeling. Compare 关心 (active caring about someone's situation) and 惦记 (keeping them in mind with affection).

verb
to be concerned aboutto worry about (someone far away)to miss with concern

Examples

  • 挂念。
    Tā yì zhí guà niàn zhe zài guó wài de ér zi.
    She has always been concerned about her son abroad.
  • 挂念，。
    Bié tài guà niàn wǒ, wǒ huì zhào gù hǎo zì jǐ de.
    Don't worry too much about me; I'll take good care of myself.
  • ，挂念。
    Tā lí jiā duō nián, xīn zhōng shí fēn guà niàn gù xiāng.
    He has been away from home for many years and deeply misses his hometown with concern.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

挂guàhold in mind
念niànthink

挂 (to hold in mind) and 念 (to think of) both point toward worry, giving a sense of missing someone.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 掛; 挂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺘Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卦
卦guà掛guà
Same sound today

In the traditional form 掛, the hand part ⺘ and the sound part 卦 show hooking or hanging something with the hand; this form was originally a popular form of 挂.

Open 挂 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Emotions & Feelings

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