How to Write 悔 (huǐ) — Meaning “regret”

Imagine that 'every time (每) you make a mistake, your heart (忄) feels regret.' You can also picture a heart shape with the word 'every' written inside it to remind you that regret is a frequent feeling.

When writing 悔, first write the radical 忄 as a short vertical line with two dots on its sides. Then write 每 on the right, making sure the top horizontal stroke is slightly above the left radical. A common mistake is making the radical too wide — keep it thin and left-aligned.

怊 (chāo) means 'sad' or 'melancholy,' while 怍 (zuò) means 'ashamed.' Unlike 悔, which specifically means regret for past actions, 怊 is rarely used and 怍 appears mainly in classical texts. Visually, 怊 uses 召 (summon) and 怍 uses 乍 (sudden), so the right sides are completely different.

悔 appears in common words like 后悔 (to regret) and 悔改 (to repent). It is often used to express personal regret for a decision or action, such as in the phrase '我后悔了' (I regret it). In Chinese culture, admitting regret is seen as a step toward self-improvement, though too much regret is discouraged.

Common words containing 悔 include: 后悔 (hòu huǐ) — to regret; 悔改 (huǐ gǎi) — repent and reform; 悔恨 (huǐ hèn) — remorse.