仇
Character Story & Explanation
仇 is commonly used in formal and literary contexts—not in casual conversation—but appears in idioms like 血海深仇 (xuè hǎi shēn chóu, 'blood-deep enmity') and historical narratives describing dynastic conflicts or family vendettas. Legally, it surfaces in terms like 仇杀 (chóu shā, 'murder out of revenge'), referenced in Ming-Qing legal codes and modern criminal law discussions. The character also features in the famous Song dynasty story of the 'Yang Family Generals', where loyalty and vengeance against the Liao invaders are framed through 仇.
The character 仇 is a phono-semantic compound: radical 亻 (person) + phonetic 九 (jiǔ, sound approximation for qiú/chóu). Its earliest attested form appears in seal script (c. 3rd century BCE), already with this structure—no pictographic origin. Today, Chinese speakers most often encounter it in written media, historical dramas, or moral education texts emphasizing justice and consequence.
The Chinese character 仇 (chóu) primarily conveys 'enmity', 'grudge', or 'hatred'—a deep, often personal animosity rooted in injury or injustice. Unlike English 'hate', which can be abstract or transient, 仇 implies a relational, reciprocal antagonism: one party has wronged another, and the resentment is socially acknowledged, sometimes even codified in historical or legal contexts (e.g., blood feuds). It carries moral weight, frequently appearing in classical texts to denote justified vengeance or enduring hostility between families or states.
In Western frameworks, 'hatred' is often individualized and psychological (e.g., Freudian repression or Christian sin), while 仇 is more sociologically embedded—tied to duty, face, and reciprocity. Think of Shakespeare’s feuding Montagues and Capulets: their 'enmity' mirrors 仇, not as irrational emotion but as inherited, ritualized opposition with social consequences. Confucian ethics further complicate it: while filial piety demands avenging parental murder (as in the 'Chunqiu' annals), Mencius cautions against letting 仇 override benevolence (rén).
This duality makes 仇 culturally distinct from Western equivalents like 'grudge' (petty, lingering) or 'feud' (clan-based but often romanticized). In modern Mandarin, it’s rarely used colloquially for minor annoyances—it appears in formal, literary, or historical discourse, legal terminology (e.g., 仇杀 'revenge killing'), and idioms like 不共戴天之仇 ('enmity so deep that we cannot share the same sky'). Its rarity in daily speech underscores its gravity: saying someone is your 仇 is a solemn, almost archaic declaration.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
Your First Step into Chinese Culture: Get a Chinese Name
Every journey into Chinese begins with a name. Use our free Chinese name generator to create a meaningful, personalized Chinese name that fits you perfectly.
Get My Chinese Name →