How to Write 忉 (dāo) — Meaning “grieved; distressed”

Imagine your heart (忄) is stabbed by a knife (刀), making you feel grieved and distressed. This visual picture directly connects the two components to the character's meaning. You can remember: "Heart plus knife equals worry."

Write the heart radical first with two dots then a straight vertical line, all narrow. Then add the knife radical: start with a horizontal hook stroke, then a leftward stroke. A common mistake is making the vertical line of 忄 too short or curving the hook of 刀 too much.

忄 is not a full character—it is only the heart radical used in other characters. 忆 (yì) also has the heart radical on the left but uses 乙 (a curved line) on the right, and it means "to remember." In contrast, 忉 uses 刀 (a knife) and means "grieved" or "distressed."

忉 is very rare in daily conversation and appears mainly in classical or formal idioms, such as 忧心忉忉 (extremely anxious) and 忉怛 (sorrowful). It is often found in poetry or literary texts to express deep emotional distress. Learners should recognize it for reading rather than active use.

Common words containing 忉 include: 忉忉 (dāo dāo) — worried; anxious; 忧心忉忉 (yōu xīn dāo dāo) — Extremely anxious; 忉怛 (dāo dá) — grieved; sorrowful.