How to Write 恐 (kǒng) — Meaning “Fear; to fear; perhaps”

Imagine a loud gong (sounds like 巩) hitting your heart (心), which makes you feel fear. The visual of a gong striking your chest helps link the parts to the meaning of fear.

Write the top part 巩 first: 工 (three strokes), then 凡 (three strokes: left-falling, horizontal hook, dot). Then add 心 (four strokes: left dot, hook, middle dot, right dot). A common mistake is making the 心 too wide or misplacing the middle dot; keep it compact and centered.

恐 means fear and has 巩 (gǒng) on top, while 忝 (tiǎn) means disgrace or shame and has 天 (tiān) on top, and 忞 (mǐn) means quiet effort and has 文 (wén) on top. Their pronunciations and meanings are all distinct, so pay attention to the top component.

恐 appears in common words like 恐怕 (kǒng pà, I'm afraid that/perhaps), 恐怖 (kǒng bù, horror), and 恐惧 (kǒng jù, fear/dread). It is often used in horror movies (恐怖片) and in polite expressions of worry. In Chinese culture, 恐怕 softens statements to show humility or caution.

Common words containing 恐 include: 恐怕 (kǒng pà) — I'm afraid that; perhaps; 恐怖 (kǒng bù) — Terror; horror; scary; 恐惧 (kǒng jù) — Fear; dread.