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牵挂 (qiān guà) — to worry about, to be concerned about

Definition

牵挂 is a warm, lingering concern for someone absent or far away — closer in tone to 挂念 and 惦记 (miss-with-worry) than to the general 关心 or formal 关怀.

verb
to worry aboutto be concerned about

Examples

  • 牵挂。
    Zài wài dì gōng zuò de rén cháng cháng qiān guà jiā lǐ.
    People who work away from home often worry about their families.
  • 牵挂，。
    Wǒ qiān guà nǐ de jiàn kāng, nǐ yào bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ.
    I'm concerned about your health; take good care of yourself.
  • ，牵挂。
    Tā suī rán chū guó le, dàn yì zhí qiān guà zhe jiā xiāng de yí qiè.
    Even though she went abroad, she has always been concerned about everything in her hometown.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

牵qiānpull; tug
挂guàhang; attach

牵 and 挂 both suggest being pulled or hung on someone, together meaning constant concern.

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 牽; 牵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
牛牛niúcow, ox
Sound part声符shēngfú
玄
玄xuán牽qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 牽 is built from 玄 and 牛, an ox, giving the picture of leading an ox by hand. The simplified 牵 is a later shorthand.

Open 牵 →

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

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