怵
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: fearful
💡 Think 'choo-choo!' - a sudden fearful train whistle makes your heart (忄) jump.
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
怵 (chù) means 'fearful' or 'apprehensive', often describing a sudden, instinctive fear similar to the English phrase 'to get cold feet.' Composed of the heart radical 忄 and the phonetic component 术 (shù, 'art'), it evokes a visceral, heart-pounding response to danger or uncertainty. In Chinese culture, 怵 appears in idioms like 怵目惊心 (chù mù jīng xīn), meaning 'shocking to the eye and heart,' comparable to Western concepts of 'fight or flight' or 'gut feeling.'
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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