How to Write 惆 (chóu) — Meaning “Melancholy”

Imagine a heart (忄) that is feeling surrounded or blocked by a wall (周, which can mean "around"). This trapped feeling of being surrounded by sadness helps you remember that 惆 means melancholy.

Write the left radical 忄 carefully: first the left dot, then the vertical stroke, and finally the right dot. The right side 周 should be slightly narrower than the left, and its top horizontal line should align with the top dot of the radical. A common mistake is making the heart radical too wide, so keep it compact.

惆 has the right component 周, while 恂 has 旬 (meaning "ten days") and 恃 has 寺 (meaning "temple"). Their meanings are different: 惆 is melancholy, 恂 means sincere or fearful, and 恃 means to rely on. Visually, look at the lower part of the right side: 周 has a horizontal line and an enclosed mouth, 旬 has a sun-like shape, and 寺 has a short line above a hand shape.

惆 is not a common daily character and appears mainly in literary or formal writing, especially in the word 惆怅 (chóu chàng), which describes a gentle, wistful sadness. It is often used in poetry and prose to express a reflective or sorrowful mood, making it a culturally rich character for expressing deep emotion.

Common words containing 惆 include: 惆怅 (chóu chàng) — Melancholy; 惆然 (chóu rán) — Sadly; 惆惋 (chóu wǎn) — Sorrowful.