jiāolǜ: 焦虑 - Anxious, Anxiety, Worried

• Keywords: 焦虑, jiaolu, anxiety in Chinese, worried in Chinese, how to say anxious in Chinese, Chinese word for stress, 焦虑症, jiaoluzheng, mental health in China, Chinese culture anxiety, 焦, 虑, 担心, 紧张
• Summary: Learn how to express 'anxiety' in Chinese with the word 焦虑 (jiāolǜ). This comprehensive guide covers the meaning of 焦虑, its cultural context in modern China, and practical examples of how to say you feel 'anxious' or 'worried'. We'll explore the difference between everyday worry and the clinical term 焦虑症 (jiāolǜzhèng), providing a deep dive into mental health vocabulary for learners of Mandarin Chinese and distinguishing it from related words like 担心 (dānxīn) and 紧张 (jǐnzhāng).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiāolǜ
• Part of Speech: Adjective / Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To be anxious or worried; the state of anxiety.
• In a Nutshell: `焦虑` describes a deep and persistent feeling of unease, apprehension, and worry, often about uncertain future outcomes. It's more intense and prolonged than simple worrying (`担心 dānxīn`) and more internal than nervousness (`紧张 jǐnzhāng`). It closely aligns with the English concept of “anxiety” in both a general and a clinical sense.

• 焦 (jiāo): This character's original meaning is “scorched,” “charred,” or “burnt.” Think of food that has been overcooked. This creates a powerful visual metaphor for the feeling of being “burned out” or consumed by worry.
• 虑 (lǜ): This character means “to consider,” “to be concerned about,” or “to worry.” The radical at the bottom is 心 (xīn), the heart/mind, indicating that this is a mental and emotional process.
• How they combine: The two characters together paint a vivid picture: a mind (虑) that is being scorched (焦) by worry. This combination perfectly captures the consuming, draining, and painful nature of anxiety.

`焦虑` is a key term for understanding the pressures of modern Chinese society. While feelings of anxiety are universal, the specific triggers and cultural discourse around it in China are unique. Historically, Chinese culture has often emphasized endurance (吃苦 chīkǔ - “to eat bitterness”) and the suppression of strong personal emotions for the sake of collective harmony. Expressing feelings like anxiety could be seen as a sign of weakness. However, in the 21st century, with rapid economic change and immense social pressure, `焦虑` has become a public buzzword. It's now openly discussed in relation to:

• Academic Pressure: The infamous 高考 (gāokǎo), or college entrance exam, is a massive source of `焦虑` for students and their families.
• Workplace Competition: The concept of 内卷 (nèijuǎn), or “involution,” describes a zero-sum rat race where people are forced to work harder and harder for diminishing returns. This creates widespread 职场焦虑 (zhíchǎng jiāolǜ), or workplace anxiety.
• Social Expectations: There is significant `焦虑` surrounding life milestones like buying a house, getting married, and having children, as well as newer pressures like 容貌焦虑 (róngmào jiāolǜ), or “appearance anxiety,” fueled by social media.

Comparison to Western Culture: While “anxiety” is a common topic in the West, it is often framed around individual psychology. In China, `焦虑` is frequently discussed as a collective social phenomenon—a shared response to specific, tangible societal pressures. It's less about an individual's internal state in isolation and more about how the individual is coping with the demands of the modern Chinese environment.

`焦虑` is a versatile word used in both casual and formal settings.

• As an Adjective: It can describe a person's state.
  • `他最近看起来很焦虑。` (Tā zuìjìn kànqǐlái hěn jiāolǜ.) - He seems very anxious lately.
• As a Noun: It can refer to the concept of anxiety itself.
  • `我们应该学会如何管理焦虑。` (Wǒmen yīnggāi xuéhuì rúhé guǎnlǐ jiāolǜ.) - We should learn how to manage anxiety.
• On Social Media and in News: It's frequently combined with other nouns to describe specific types of anxiety.
  • `容貌焦虑 (róngmào jiāolǜ)` - Appearance anxiety
  • `年龄焦虑 (niánlíng jiāolǜ)` - Age anxiety
  • `教育焦虑 (jiàoyù jiāolǜ)` - Education anxiety (often felt by parents)

Its connotation is almost always negative, describing an unpleasant and undesirable state of mind.

• Example 1:
  • 临近考试，很多学生都感到非常焦虑。
  • Pinyin: Línjìn kǎoshì, hěn duō xuéshēng dōu gǎndào fēicháng jiāolǜ.
  • English: As the exams approach, many students feel very anxious.
  • Analysis: This is a classic use of `焦虑` as an adjective to describe a feeling caused by a specific, high-pressure event.
• Example 2:
  • 找不到工作的焦虑让他晚上睡不着觉。
  • Pinyin: Zhǎo bu dào gōngzuò de jiāolǜ ràng tā wǎnshang shuì bu zháo jiào.
  • English: The anxiety of not being able to find a job keeps him from sleeping at night.
  • Analysis: Here, `焦虑` is used as a noun, “the anxiety of…”. The structure `…的焦虑` is very common.
• Example 3:
  • 你在焦虑什么？跟我说说吧。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zài jiāolǜ shénme? Gēn wǒ shuōshuo ba.
  • English: What are you anxious about? Come on, tell me.
  • Analysis: In this informal context, `焦虑` can almost function like a verb, similar to “worrying about” something.
• Example 4:
  • 社交媒体加剧了很多年轻人的容貌焦虑。
  • Pinyin: Shèjiāo méitǐ jiājùle hěn duō niánqīngrén de róngmào jiāolǜ.
  • English: Social media has exacerbated the appearance anxiety of many young people.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the modern usage of combining `焦虑` with another noun (`容貌` - appearance) to name a specific social phenomenon.
• Example 5:
  • 医生的诊断是，他患有焦虑症。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng de zhěnduàn shì, tā huànyǒu jiāolǜzhèng.
  • English: The doctor's diagnosis was that he suffers from an anxiety disorder.
  • Analysis: This shows the clinical term `焦虑症 (jiāolǜzhèng)`. It's important to distinguish between feeling `焦虑` (anxious) and having the medical condition `焦虑症`.
• Example 6:
  • 为了缓解焦虑，我开始每天冥想。
  • Pinyin: Wèile huǎnjiě jiāolǜ, wǒ kāishǐ měitiān míngxiǎng.
  • English: In order to alleviate my anxiety, I started meditating every day.
  • Analysis: `缓解焦虑 (huǎnjiě jiāolǜ)` is a very common and useful collocation meaning “to alleviate/relieve anxiety.”
• Example 7:
  • 不要为未来的事情过度焦虑。
  • Pinyin: Búyào wèi wèilái de shìqing guòdù jiāolǜ.
  • English: Don't be excessively anxious about future matters.
  • Analysis: `过度焦虑 (guòdù jiāolǜ)` means “excessively anxious” or “overly anxious,” a useful phrase for giving advice.
• Example 8:
  • 面对巨大的经济压力，他心中充满了焦虑。
  • Pinyin: Miànduì jùdà de jīngjì yālì, tā xīnzhōng chōngmǎnle jiāolǜ.
  • English: Facing huge economic pressure, his heart was filled with anxiety.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses `充满 (chōngmǎn)` - “to be full of,” which vividly describes `焦虑` as a noun that can fill one's heart/mind.
• Example 9:
  • 这种普遍的焦虑感是这个时代的特征之一。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng pǔbiàn de jiāolǜ gǎn shì zhège shídài de tèzhēng zhīyī.
  • English: This pervasive sense of anxiety is one of the characteristics of this era.
  • Analysis: The term `焦虑感 (jiāolǜ gǎn)` literally means “a feeling of anxiety” and is often used in more formal or analytical discussions.
• Example 10:
  • 父母不应该把自己的焦虑传递给孩子。
  • Pinyin: Fùmǔ bù yīnggāi bǎ zìjǐ de jiāolǜ chuándì gěi háizi.
  • English: Parents should not pass their own anxiety on to their children.
  • Analysis: A great example showing `焦虑` as a transferable emotion or burden. `传递 (chuándì)` means “to transmit” or “to pass on.”

For English speakers, the biggest challenge is distinguishing `焦虑` from two similar-sounding words: `担心 (dānxīn)` and `紧张 (jǐnzhāng)`.

• `焦虑 (jiāolǜ)` vs. `担心 (dānxīn)` - Anxiety vs. Worry
  • `担心 (dānxīn)` is the general word for “to worry.” It's typically about a specific, concrete problem.
  • `焦虑 (jiāolǜ)` is a deeper, more pervasive feeling of unease that might not have a single, clear cause. It's about a state of being, not just a reaction to one event.
  • Example:
    • Correct: 我担心明天会下雨。(Wǒ dānxīn míngtiān huì xiàyǔ.) - I'm worried it will rain tomorrow. (Specific, simple worry)
    • Incorrect: 我焦虑明天会下雨。 (This sounds overly dramatic and clinical for a simple concern like rain.)
    • Correct: 他对自己的未来感到很焦虑。(Tā duì zìjǐ de wèilái gǎndào hěn jiāolǜ.) - He feels very anxious about his future. (Vague, profound, long-term unease)
• `焦虑 (jiāolǜ)` vs. `紧张 (jǐnzhāng)` - Anxiety vs. Nervousness
  • `紧张 (jǐnzhāng)` means “nervous,” “tense,” or “uptight.” It's a physiological and psychological reaction to an immediate event, like a test, performance, or confrontation.
  • `焦虑 (jiāolǜ)` is a more chronic, internal state of mind that persists over time.
  • Example:
    • Correct: 我马上要上台演讲，非常紧张。(Wǒ mǎshàng yào shàngtái yǎnjiǎng, fēicháng jǐnzhāng.) - I'm about to go on stage to give a speech, I'm so nervous. (Immediate, event-based)
    • Context matters: 如果你因为害怕公开演讲而长期睡不好，那可能就是焦虑了。(Rúguǒ nǐ yīnwèi hàipà gōngkāi yǎnjiǎng ér chángqī shuì bu hǎo, nà kěnéng jiùshì jiāolǜ le.) - If you have trouble sleeping for a long time because you're afraid of public speaking, then that might be anxiety. (Chronic, internal state)

• 担心 (dānxīn) - To worry. A more common, less intense word for specific concerns.
• 紧张 (jǐnzhāng) - Nervous, tense. The feeling right before a specific, stressful event.
• 压力 (yālì) - Pressure, stress. Often the root cause of `焦虑`.
• 烦躁 (fánzào) - Agitated, irritable, restless. A feeling that often accompanies anxiety.
• 抑郁 (yìyù) - Depression. A distinct mental health condition, but often discussed alongside `焦虑` as they can be co-occurring.
• 内卷 (nèijuǎn) - “Involution.” A slang term for the intense, burnout-inducing competition that is a major source of societal `焦虑` in China.
• 高考 (gāokǎo) - The national college entrance exam. A famous trigger for acute `焦虑` in Chinese society.
• 焦虑症 (jiāolǜzhèng) - Anxiety disorder. The formal, clinical term.
• 放松 (fàngsōng) - To relax. An antonym describing the action to relieve anxiety.
• 安心 (ānxīn) - To feel at ease, relieved. An antonym describing the desired state of mind.