Chinese Character: 惧
1. Character Basics
Radical: 忄/xīn (heart radical, related to emotions)
Stroke Count: 11
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: jù (fourth tone)
3. Meaning
fear, afraid, scared, terrified, dread, apprehensive
4. Common Words
- 恐惧 (kǒngjù) - fear, terror
- 惧怕 (jùpà) - fear, dread
- 畏惧 (wèi jù) - fear, be afraid of
- 惧色 (jùsè) - look of fear
- 惧内 (jùnèi) - henpecked (literally "fear one's wife")
- 临危不惧 (lín wēi bù jù) - fearless in the face of danger
5. Grammar & Usage
Usage as a verb:
- 后面接名词或动词，表示害怕的对象：惧水 (fear water), 惧高 (fear heights), 惧死 (fear death)
- 与否定词搭配：不惧 (not afraid), 毫不畏惧 (not the least bit afraid)
- 常用于成语或正式场合，口语中更常用"害怕 (hàipà)"
Examples in sentences:
- 勇者不惧 (Yǒng zhě bù jù) - The brave do not fear.
- 他惧我三分 (Tā jù wǒ sān fēn) - He is somewhat afraid of me.
6. Cultural Background
在中国文化中，"惧"不仅仅是一种情感表达，还与传统价值观密切相关：
- 儒家思想："君子有三畏：畏天命，畏大人，畏圣人之言"（孔子），强调对道德和权威的敬畏
- 成语文化：有许多包含"惧"的成语，如"临危不惧"、"勇者不惧"等，反映了中国文化对勇敢品质的推崇
- 日常生活：与西方文化相比，中国文化中人们可能更倾向于隐藏恐惧情绪，尤其是在公共场合
- 文学表达：古典文学作品中常用"惧"来描绘人物心理活动和紧张场景
7. Example Sentence
中文：面对困难，我们不应该恐惧，而应该勇敢地去克服。
Pinyin：Miàn duì kùnnan, wǒmen bù yīnggāi kǒngjù, ér yīnggāi yǒnggǎn de qù kèfú.
Translation：In the face of difficulties, we should not be afraid but should bravely overcome them.
8. Memory Tips
Character Structure Breakdown: 惧 is composed of 忄 (heart radical) on the left and 具 (jù, meaning "tool" or "have") on the right.
Mnemonic Device: 忄 (heart radical) indicates an emotion, and 具 suggests "having" or "holding" that emotion. So 惧 represents the heart "having" fear or holding fear inside.
Visual Association: Imagine the 具 part as a person standing with their hands held up in fear, while the 忄 part represents their beating heart.
Stroke Order Practice: Focus on the correct stroke order, especially the sequence of the 具 part, which has 8 strokes on its own.