How to Write 憎 (zēng) — Meaning “to hate; to detest”

A common mistake is writing the right side 曾 with the wrong number of strokes or mixing up the order of the horizontal strokes. Remember that 曾 has 12 strokes: start with the top dot, then the horizontal, then the vertical, and continue down. Practice by writing 忄 first (three quick strokes) and then 曾 slowly, focusing on the vertical strokes in the middle.

憎 (zēng) means 'to hate' and is often used in words like 憎恨 (hatred). 愫 (sù) means 'true feelings' or 'sincere emotion', and 慊 (qiàn) means 'dissatisfied' or 'resentful'. While all three have the heart radical, 憎 is specifically about strong hatred, while 愫 is about sincerity and 慊 is about a feeling of discontent.

憎 is used when talking about strong dislike or hatred. For example, you might say 我憎恨欺骗 (I hate deception) or use the common idiom 爱憎分明, which means to be clear about what you love and what you hate. It's a more formal or literary word, so you'll often see it in writing, news, or speeches rather than casual conversation.

In Chinese culture, the concept of 爱憎分明 (clear distinction between love and hate) is valued as a moral quality, meaning a person should have firm principles and not be ambiguous in their feelings. Historically, the heart (心) was considered the center of emotions, so characters with 忄 often relate to feelings. Understanding this helps you see why 憎 is written with the heart radical.

憎 can combine with other characters to form words like 憎恨 (hatred), 憎恶 (to loathe), and 爱憎 (love and hate). For example, 爱憎分明 (ài zēng fēn míng) means 'to have a clear distinction between love and hate', and 憎恶 (zēng wù) is used to express strong disgust, like 我对他的行为感到憎恶 (I feel disgusted by his behavior).

Common words containing 憎 include: 憎恨 (zēng hèn) — to hate; hatred; detest; 憎恶 (zēng wù) — to loathe; to abhor; detest; 爱憎分明 (ài zēng fēn míng) — To have a clear distinction between love and hate.