How to Write 悸 (jì) — Meaning “palpitation; to throb with fear”

Imagine your heart (忄) beats uncontrollably every time a particular season (季) arrives, such as the season of storms or exams. This visual link between a pounding heart and a season can help you recall that 悸 means palpitation or fear.

Write the left radical 忄 as two dots then a vertical line, keeping it narrow. For the right part 季, first write the strokes of 禾 (from top to bottom), then the bottom part 子 with a straight vertical hook. A common mistake is making the 子 too wide or the 竖 hook too curved.

悸 means palpitations or fear, while 恂 (xún) means sincere or sometimes fearful, and 恃 (shì) means to rely on. Visually, 悸 has 季 (season) on the right, 恂 has 旬 (ten-day period), and 恃 has 寺 (temple) – so focus on the right component to tell them apart.

悸 appears in words like 心悸 (palpitations) in medical contexts, 惊悸 (scared and trembling), and 余悸 (lingering fear after a frightening event). It is not common in everyday speech but is used in written Chinese, especially in medicine and literature.

Common words containing 悸 include: 心悸 (xīn jì) — palpitations; 惊悸 (jīng jì) — Palpitating with fear; 余悸 (yú jì) — lingering fear.