chóu: 愁 - Sorrow, Worry, Anxiety

• Keywords: 愁, chóu, chou Chinese, Chinese word for sorrow, Chinese word for worry, melancholy in Chinese, sadness in Chinese, 愁眉苦脸, 忧愁, 发愁, homesickness Chinese, xiangchou
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 愁 (chóu), a fundamental concept in Chinese culture representing a deep, lingering sorrow or worry. More than just sadness, chóu is a profound, often poetic emotion of anxiety and melancholy, famously explored in Chinese literature and art. This page breaks down its character, cultural significance, and practical use in modern Mandarin, contrasting it with simple sadness (`难过`) and practical worry (`担心`).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): chóu
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A deep and persistent feeling of sorrow, worry, or anxiety, often about something unresolved or uncontrollable.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 愁 (chóu) not as a sharp pain of sadness, but as a heavy, gray cloud that settles over your heart and won't leave. It's the feeling of being burdened by a problem with no obvious solution—worrying about the future, feeling helpless about a situation, or a deep sense of melancholy. While “sad” (`难过`) is a temporary reaction, chóu is a lingering state of mind.

• 愁 (chóu) is a brilliant example of a phono-semantic compound character, where one part gives the sound and the other gives the meaning.
  • Top: 秋 (qiū) - This character means “autumn.” It provides the phonetic hint for the sound `chóu`. More importantly, autumn in Chinese culture is a season associated with falling leaves, cooling weather, decline, and a feeling of melancholy. It sets a somber, reflective tone.
  • Bottom: 心 (xīn) - This is the “heart” radical, indicating that the character is related to feelings, emotions, or the mind.
• Putting it together: The character literally depicts an “autumn heart” (秋 + 心). This powerful image perfectly captures the essence of 愁: a heart feeling the chill, decline, and pervasive melancholy of the autumn season. It's a sorrow that is deep, natural, and colors one's entire emotional landscape.

愁 (chóu) is one of the most significant emotional concepts in Chinese culture, especially in its literature and poetry. For thousands of years, scholars, poets, and artists have sought to capture its elusive nature. A famous line by the Song dynasty poet Li Qingzhao (李清照) perfectly encapsulates this feeling:

才下眉头，却上心头 (cái xià méitóu, què shàng xīntóu)
“It has just left the eyebrows, only to climb into the heart.”

This describes 愁 as an inescapable presence, a worry so profound it moves from a physical frown to a deep internal ache. Comparison to Western “Anxiety” or “Melancholy”: While 愁 (chóu) can be translated as “anxiety” or “melancholy,” it's culturally distinct. In the West, chronic anxiety or melancholy might be viewed primarily through a clinical or psychological lens (e.g., “depression,” “anxiety disorder”). In Chinese culture, 愁 is also seen as a profound, almost noble, part of the human experience. It's the natural sorrow of separation from loved ones (`乡愁`, homesickness), the weight of responsibility, or the philosophical contemplation of life's transience. It is not necessarily something to be “cured” but rather an emotion to be understood, expressed through art, and sometimes, shared over a cup of tea or a glass of wine with a trusted friend.

While its roots are classical, 愁 is used frequently in modern conversation.

• To express worrying (as a verb): The most common way to use it as a verb is in the compound 发愁 (fāchóu). You “fāchóu” *about* something specific.
  • e.g., “别为这点小事发愁了。” (Bié wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì fāchóu le.) - “Stop worrying about such a small matter.”
• To describe a worried state (as an adjective/state): It is often used to describe a person's appearance or mood. The classic idiom is 愁眉苦脸 (chóu méi kǔ liǎn), which literally means “worried eyebrows, bitter face.”
  • e.g., “你今天怎么愁眉苦脸的？” (Nǐ jīntiān zěnme chóuméi kǔliǎn de?) - “Why do you look so worried today?”
• To refer to worries (as a noun): You can talk about your “sorrows” or “worries” as abstract things. A very famous phrase is 借酒消愁 (jiè jiǔ xiāo chóu), “to borrow wine to eliminate sorrow,” or simply, to drown one's sorrows.

• Example 1:
  • 他最近一直在为工作的事情发愁。
  • Pinyin: Tā zuìjìn yīzhí zài wèi gōngzuò de shìqíng fāchóu.
  • English: He's been worrying about work matters constantly recently.
  • Analysis: Here, 发愁 (fāchóu) is used as a verb, showing a continuous state of worry about a specific topic (work). It implies the problem is significant and not easily solved.
• Example 2:
  • 看到账单后，她愁得一晚上没睡好。
  • Pinyin: Kàndào zhàngdān hòu, tā chóu de yī wǎnshàng méi shuì hǎo.
  • English: After seeing the bill, she was so worried she didn't sleep well all night.
  • Analysis: This shows 愁 used as a verb to describe the state of being worried. The structure `[verb] + 得 + [result]` is very common in Chinese. Her worry (`愁`) led to a result (not sleeping well).
• Example 3:
  • 小小年纪，他脸上怎么总带着一丝愁容？
  • Pinyin: Xiǎo xiǎo niánjì, tā liǎn shàng zěnme zǒng dài zhe yīsī chóuróng?
  • English: For someone so young, why does he always have a hint of sorrow on his face?
  • Analysis: 愁容 (chóuróng) means “worried/sorrowful expression.” This example highlights the noun form, describing a visible, persistent state of melancholy.
• Example 4:
  • 高考结束了，考生们终于可以不用再为考试发愁了。
  • Pinyin: Gāokǎo jiéshù le, kǎoshēngmen zhōngyú kěyǐ bùyòng zài wèi kǎoshì fāchóu le.
  • English: The college entrance exam is over; the students finally don't have to worry about the test anymore.
  • Analysis: This shows a common context for 发愁: worrying about a major life event like an exam. It emphasizes the relief that comes when the source of the worry is gone.
• Example 5:
  • 一提到儿子的婚事，她就愁眉苦脸的。
  • Pinyin: Yī tídào érzi de hūnshì, tā jiù chóuméi kǔliǎn de.
  • English: As soon as her son's marriage is mentioned, she gets a worried look on her face.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the idiom 愁眉苦脸 (chóu méi kǔ liǎn) in action. It vividly describes a person's physical reaction to a source of worry.
• Example 6:
  • 钱能解决大部分的愁事，但解决不了所有的。
  • Pinyin: Qián néng jiějué dàbùfèn de chóushì, dàn jiějué bùliǎo suǒyǒu de.
  • English: Money can solve most worries, but it can't solve all of them.
  • Analysis: Here, 愁事 (chóushì) is a noun meaning “worries” or “troublesome matters.” This sentence has a philosophical tone, distinguishing between practical and existential worries.
• Example 7:
  • 他独自一人坐在窗边，喝着酒，好像在借酒消愁。
  • Pinyin: Tā dúzì yīrén zuò zài chuāng biān, hē zhe jiǔ, hǎoxiàng zài jiè jiǔ xiāo chóu.
  • English: He sat alone by the window, drinking, as if he were trying to drown his sorrows.
  • Analysis: This uses the very common idiom 借酒消愁 (jiè jiǔ xiāo chóu), which directly translates the English concept of “drowning one's sorrows.” It paints a vivid picture of someone trying to escape their emotional burden.
• Example 8:
  • 这种剪不断，理还乱的感情，真是让人愁。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng jiǎn bù duàn, lǐ hái luàn de gǎnqíng, zhēnshi ràng rén chóu.
  • English: This kind of feeling, which cannot be cut and remains a mess when you try to sort it out, is truly vexing.
  • Analysis: This sentence, referencing a famous poem, uses 愁 as a stative verb meaning “to cause worry/sorrow.” It captures the feeling of being trapped in a complex, unsolvable emotional situation.
• Example 9:
  • 对许多远离家乡的年轻人来说，乡愁是一种复杂的感情。
  • Pinyin: Duì xǔduō yuǎnlí jiāxiāng de niánqīngrén lái shuō, xiāngchóu shì yīzhǒng fùzá de gǎnqíng.
  • English: For many young people far from their hometowns, homesickness is a complex emotion.
  • Analysis: 乡愁 (xiāngchóu), literally “hometown sorrow,” means “homesickness” or “nostalgia.” It's a specific and very important type of 愁, combining longing, memory, and sadness.
• Example 10:
  • 别愁了，天无绝人之路，我们总会找到办法的。
  • Pinyin: Bié chóu le, tiān wú jué rén zhī lù, wǒmen zǒng huì zhǎodào bànfǎ de.
  • English: Stop worrying. Heaven never bars one's way (meaning: There's always a way out), we'll find a solution.
  • Analysis: A great example of someone consoling another. It uses 愁 as a direct command (“Don't worry”) and pairs it with a classic Chinese proverb to offer hope and reassurance.

• `愁 (chóu)` vs. `难过 (nánguò)` (Sad): This is the most common point of confusion.
  • 难过 (nánguò) is a direct emotional reaction to a negative event. It's “sad.” If your friend cancels plans, you feel `难过`. It's usually temporary.
  • 愁 (chóu) is a deeper, more persistent state of worry and melancholy. You don't feel `愁` because you dropped your ice cream. You feel `愁` because you are unemployed and see no prospects.
  • Incorrect: 我丢了钱包，我很愁。 (Wǒ diūle qiánbāo, wǒ hěn chóu.)
  • Correct: 我丢了钱包，我很难过。 (Wǒ diūle qiánbāo, wǒ hěn nánguò.)
• `愁 (chóu)` vs. `担心 (dānxīn)` (To Worry):
  • 担心 (dānxīn) is the everyday, practical word for “to worry about” something. It's forward-looking and specific. “I'm worried (`担心`) I'll miss the train.”
  • 发愁 (fāchóu) is a heavier, more emotional form of worry. It implies a sense of helplessness or that the problem is very serious. You `担心` about a traffic jam; you `发愁` about paying next month's rent.
  • Subtle difference: “我担心明天的考试。” (I'm worried about tomorrow's exam.) - This is a normal, expected feeling.
  • Subtle difference: “我为我的未来发愁。” (I'm worried about my future.) - This implies a deep, existential anxiety, not just a simple concern.

• 发愁 (fāchóu) - The most common verb form of `愁`, meaning “to worry” or “to be anxious” about a significant problem.
• 忧愁 (yōuchóu) - A slightly more formal or literary synonym for sorrow and worry. `忧 (yōu)` is also a character for worry.
• 乡愁 (xiāngchóu) - A specific and culturally important type of `愁`: homesickness.
• 愁眉苦脸 (chóu méi kǔ liǎn) - A common idiom describing the physical expression of worry: “worried eyebrows and a bitter face.”
• 借酒消愁 (jiè jiǔ xiāo chóu) - A popular idiom meaning “to drown one's sorrows in alcohol.”
• 难过 (nánguò) - The common word for “sad.” It lacks the depth and persistence of `愁`.
• 担心 (dānxīn) - The standard verb for “to worry,” but less emotionally heavy than `发愁`.
• 悲伤 (bēishāng) - “Sorrowful, grieved.” More intense than `难过` and often linked to a specific loss, like a death. `愁` can be more abstract and without a single cause.