dānxīn: 担心 - To Worry, Anxious

• Keywords: danxin, 担心, how to say worry in Chinese, anxious in Chinese, what does danxin mean, Chinese for concerned, don't worry in Chinese, HSK 3 vocabulary, 别担心, 担心 vs 害怕
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 担心 (dānxīn), meaning “to worry” or “to be anxious.” This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage. Discover how expressing concern is a common way to show care in Chinese culture, and master its use with 10 practical example sentences, from simple phrases like “don't worry” (别担心 - bié dānxīn) to more complex expressions of concern.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dānxīn
• Part of Speech: Verb / Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To worry; to feel anxious or concerned about something or someone.
• In a Nutshell: 担心 (dānxīn) is the everyday feeling of unease or concern you have when you're thinking about a potential negative outcome. It's not a clinical anxiety, but rather the common mental state of worrying about your exams, a loved one's health, or if you'll be late. It captures the idea of a weight on your mind.

• 担 (dān): This character's original form depicts a hand (手) next to a carrying pole. Its primary meaning is “to carry a load on a shoulder pole” or “to bear a responsibility.” Think of carrying a heavy burden.
• 心 (xīn): This character is a pictogram of a human heart. In Chinese, the heart is considered the seat of both emotion and thought, so it means “heart,” “mind,” or “feeling.”
• The characters combine literally to mean “to carry a burden in one's heart/mind.” This beautiful and intuitive combination perfectly illustrates the feeling of being weighed down by worry.

In Chinese culture, expressing 担心 (dānxīn) is often a fundamental expression of care and love, especially within a family or close friendship. It's a way of saying, “You are important to me, and your well-being is on my mind.” This can contrast with some Western perspectives where constant expressions of worry might be perceived as a lack of trust, overbearing control, or nagging. For instance, a Chinese mother constantly telling her adult child to “wear more clothes” or “eat on time” is not just nagging; she is actively expressing her 担心, which is her “love language.” Understanding this helps decode many social interactions. When a Chinese friend says, “I was worried about you” (我很担心你), they are offering a message of deep connection and affection. It reinforces the collectivist value that “we are in this together,” and your problems are my problems.

担心 (dānxīn) is an extremely common word used in virtually all informal and semi-formal contexts.

• In Conversation: It's the default word for expressing worry. You'll hear it constantly between friends, family members, and colleagues. The phrase 别担心 (bié dānxīn), “Don't worry,” is one of the most common reassurances.
• As a Verb: It's often used in the pattern `[Subject] + 担心 + [Person/Thing/Situation being worried about]`. For example, `我担心你 (Wǒ dānxīn nǐ)` - “I worry about you.”
• As an Adjective: It can describe a person's state or appearance. For example, `他一脸担心的样子 (Tā yī liǎn dānxīn de yàngzi)` - “He had a worried look on his face.”
• Connotation: The feeling itself is negative (worry isn't pleasant), but the act of expressing 担心 for someone is almost always positive and seen as a gesture of care.

• Example 1:
  • 你别担心，问题不大。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bié dānxīn, wèntí bù dà.
  • English: Don't worry, the problem isn't big.
  • Analysis: This showcases the most common use case: reassuring someone with 别担心 (bié dānxīn). It's an essential phrase for any beginner.
• Example 2:
  • 妈妈总是担心我的身体。
  • Pinyin: Māmā zǒngshì dānxīn wǒ de shēntǐ.
  • English: Mom is always worried about my health.
  • Analysis: This highlights the cultural point about family members, especially parents, using 担心 to express love and care.
• Example 3:
  • 我很担心明天的考试。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ hěn dānxīn míngtiān de kǎoshì.
  • English: I'm very worried about tomorrow's exam.
  • Analysis: A classic example of worrying about a future event. This is a very common sentence structure for students.
• Example 4:
  • 他还没回家，我很为他担心。
  • Pinyin: Tā hái méi huí jiā, wǒ hěn wèi tā dānxīn.
  • English: He hasn't come home yet, I'm very worried for him.
  • Analysis: This introduces the structure 为 (wèi) + [person] + 担心, which means “to worry for/on behalf of someone.” It adds a slight emphasis on the person being the object of concern.
• Example 5:
  • 看到你安全到达，我就不担心了。
  • Pinyin: Kàndào nǐ ānquán dàodá, wǒ jiù bù dānxīn le.
  • English: Seeing that you've arrived safely, I'm not worried anymore.
  • Analysis: This shows how the state of worrying can be resolved. The particle 了 (le) indicates a change of state from “worried” to “not worried.”
• Example 6:
  • 他的脸上带着担心的表情。
  • Pinyin: Tā de liǎn shàng dàizhe dānxīn de biǎoqíng.
  • English: He had a worried expression on his face.
  • Analysis: Here, 担心 functions as an adjective modifying “expression” (表情) using the particle 的 (de).
• Example 7:
  • 你在担心什么？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zài dānxīn shénme?
  • English: What are you worrying about?
  • Analysis: A simple and direct question used to ask someone about the source of their anxiety. 在 (zài) can indicate the ongoing action of worrying.
• Example 8:
  • 最让我担心的是天气预报说明天有台风。
  • Pinyin: Zuì ràng wǒ dānxīn de shì tiānqì yùbào shuō míngtiān yǒu táifēng.
  • English: The thing that makes me most worried is that the weather forecast says there will be a typhoon tomorrow.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a more complex structure: 让 (ràng) + [person] + 担心, meaning “to make someone worry.”
• Example 9:
  • 只要你努力，就不用担心找不到好工作。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, jiù bùyòng dānxīn zhǎo bù dào hǎo gōngzuò.
  • English: As long as you work hard, you don't need to worry about not finding a good job.
  • Analysis: 不用 (bùyòng) is another common way to say “no need to.” This sentence offers conditional reassurance.
• Example 10:
  • 投资有风险，很多人担心会亏钱。
  • Pinyin: Tóuzī yǒu fēngxiǎn, hěnduō rén dānxīn huì kuīqián.
  • English: Investing has risks; many people worry they will lose money.
  • Analysis: This shows 担心 being used in a broader, more objective context like finance or business.

A frequent point of confusion for learners is the difference between 担心 (dānxīn), 害怕 (hàipà), and 着急 (zhāojí).

• 担心 (dānxīn) vs. 害怕 (hàipà) - Worry vs. Fear:
  • 担心 is anxiety about a potential negative outcome (e.g., “I'm worried I might fail the test”).
  • 害怕 (hàipà) is fear of a present or definite thing or situation (e.g., “I'm afraid of spiders” or “I'm scared of the big dog in front of me”).
  • Incorrect: `我担心蛇。(Wǒ dānxīn shé.)` - This sounds odd, as if you are concerned for the snake's well-being.
  • Correct: `我害怕蛇。(Wǒ hàipà shé.)` - “I am afraid of snakes.”
• 担心 (dānxīn) vs. 着急 (zhāojí) - Worry vs. Time-pressure Anxiety:
  • 担心 is a general mental state of concern.
  • 着急 (zhāojí) is a more urgent, impatient anxiety, often due to a time constraint. It implies a feeling of needing to hurry.
  • Example: If you are late for a flight, you are 着急. You might also be 担心 you'll miss the flight, but 着急 captures the feeling of franticness and impatience.

• 放心 (fàngxīn) - The direct antonym of 担心. It means “to feel relieved,” “to set one's mind at rest.” (Literally “to put down the heart”).
• 着急 (zhāojí) - To be anxious or worried, but specifically with a sense of urgency or impatience due to time.
• 害怕 (hàipà) - To be afraid, scared. Refers to fear rather than worry.
• 操心 (cāoxīn) - To worry about something in a way that involves taking responsibility and effort. It's more active than 担心. A parent might `操心` their child's education, meaning they actively manage and worry about it.
• 挂念 (guàniàn) - To miss or be concerned about someone who is far away. It's a more sentimental and nostalgic form of worry. (Literally “to hang in one's thoughts”).
• 忧虑 (yōulǜ) - A more formal, literary, and deeper term for worry or anxiety, often about serious, long-term issues (e.g., `忧虑国家的未来` - to worry about the country's future).
• 别担心 (bié dānxīn) - The essential phrase “Don't worry.” A crucial conversational tool.