Learn a Chinese Character - 恐

1. Character Basics

Radical: 心 (xīn, heart radical)

Stroke Count: 10

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: kǒng (third tone)

3. Meaning

Fear, afraid, scared, terrified

4. Common Words

• 恐惧 (kǒngjù) - fear, terror
• 恐怕 (kǒngpà) - I'm afraid (used to express possibility or regret)
• 惊恐 (jīngkǒng) - terrified, alarmed
• 恐龙 (kǒnglóng) - dinosaur
• 恐慌 (kǒnghuāng) - panic
• 畏惧 (wèijù) - fear, dread
• 恐怖片 (kǒngbùpiàn) - horror movie
• 恐高症 (kǒnggāozhèng) - fear of heights
• 恐吓 (kǒngxià) - to threaten, to intimidate

5. Grammar & Usage

As a verb:

• 表示害怕、畏惧 - to indicate fear or dread
• 他恐高 - He is afraid of heights
• 我恐水 - I am afraid of water

As an adjective:

• 表示让人害怕的 - to indicate something that causes fear
• 这是一部恐怖片 - This is a horror movie
• 那个声音很恐怖 - That sound is terrifying

As a conjunction (in the phrase "恐怕"):

• 表示猜测、担心或委婉的拒绝 - to express speculation, worry, or a polite refusal
• 恐怕我不能参加聚会了 - I'm afraid I can't attend the party
• 恐怕这个问题不容易解决 - I'm afraid this problem is not easy to solve

6. Cultural Background

在中国文化中，"恐"字与情感表达密切相关。中国传统文化强调控制情绪，认为过度的恐惧会影响人的判断和健康。孔子曾说："勇者不惧"，意思是勇敢的人不会轻易感到恐惧。这种思想影响了中国人的价值观，鼓励人们面对困难时保持勇气和冷静。

此外，"恐龙"一词在中文中也很有趣。虽然恐龙是史前生物，但这个词在现代中文中也被用来比喻过时或不受欢迎的人或事物，特别是在网络用语中。

In Chinese culture, the character "恐" is closely related to emotional expression. Traditional Chinese culture emphasizes controlling emotions, believing that excessive fear can affect a person's judgment and health. Confucius once said: "勇者不惧" (A brave person is not afraid), meaning that brave people do not easily feel fear. This idea has influenced Chinese values, encouraging people to maintain courage and calmness when facing difficulties.

In addition, the word "恐龙" (dinosaur) is also interesting in Chinese. Although dinosaurs are prehistoric creatures, this term is also used in modern Chinese to metaphorically refer to outdated or unpopular people or things, especially in internet slang.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

"恐"字由"巩"（gǒng, to strengthen）和"心"（xīn, heart）组成。你可以想象当内心感到恐惧时，心脏会收缩，需要加强保护。或者，你可以将"巩"理解为"工"和"凡"的组合，想象一个工人在平凡的工作中遇到让他害怕的事情。

The character "恐" is composed of "巩" (gǒng, to strengthen) and "心" (xīn, heart). You can imagine that when the heart feels fear, it contracts and needs to be strengthened for protection. Alternatively, you can understand "巩" as a combination of "工" (gōng, work) and "凡" (fán, ordinary), and imagine a worker encountering something that makes him afraid in his ordinary work.