How to Write 惧 (jù) — Meaning “fear; dread”

Imagine a heart (忄) being squeezed by a huge tool (具), like a vice grip — that feeling of panic is fear. The visual of a tool pressing on your heart helps link the parts to the meaning "fear; dread."

Pay attention to the left radical 忄: it should be written narrow with the vertical stroke first, then the left and right dots. The right side 具 has a horizontal stroke at the top and a large 八 (eight) shape below; make sure the final two strokes are distinct and not too cramped.

恂 (xún) means sincere or respectful, sharing the heart radical but with 旬 (ten days), while 恃 (shì) means to rely on, with 寺 (temple). Unlike 惧, which focuses on fear, 恂 relates to honesty and 恃 to dependence — visually, they differ in the right-side component.

惧 appears in words like 恐惧 (fear), 畏惧 (dread), and 惧怕 (to be afraid of), often in formal or written contexts. It is not in HSK, so it appears more in literature or news to describe deep or serious fear rather than casual spoken "scared."

Common words containing 惧 include: 恐惧 (kǒng jù) — Fear; dread; 畏惧 (wèi jù) — To fear / Dread; 惧怕 (jù pà) — to fear; to be afraid of.