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耿耿于怀 (gěng gěng yú huái) — to take something to heart; to brood over; to be unable to get something off one's mind

Definition

A chengyu meaning to keep something on one's mind — to brood over a grievance or hurt that won't fade. Implies lingering emotional weight, more intense than simply 'taking it to heart.'

idiom
to take something to heartto brood overto be unable to get something off one's mind

Examples

  • 耿耿于怀，。
    Tā duì nà jiàn shì yì zhí gěng gěng yú huái, guò le hǎo jǐ nián hái fàng bú xià.
    He's been brooding over that incident for years and still can't let it go.
  • 耿耿于怀，。
    Bié wèi le yì diǎn xiǎo shì gěng gěng yú huái, bù zhí dé.
    Don't take such a small matter to heart; it's not worth it.
  • ，耿耿于怀。
    Tā suī rán zuǐ shàng shuō méi guān xi, xīn lǐ què gěng gěng yú huái.
    Although she said it didn't matter, she was still brooding over it inside.

Origin

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
耳耳ěr
Sound part声符shēngfú
烓
烓wēi耿gěng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

耿 pairs 耳, the meaning part, with a shortened 烓, the sound part.

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
耳耳ěr
Sound part声符shēngfú
烓
烓wēi耿gěng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

耿 pairs 耳, the meaning part, with a shortened 烓, the sound part.

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

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

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 懷; 怀 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái懷huái
Same sound today

The traditional form 懷 uses 心 (heart) to show longing and 褱 for the sound; the simplified 怀 is a later shorthand.

Open 怀 →
Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsIdioms & Set Phrases

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