惦记

• Pinyin: diàn jì
• Hanzi breakdown: 惦 = 忄+ 店 (to brood over, keep in mind with concern); 记 = 讠+ 己 (to remember, record)

Meaning

To keep thinking about; to miss someone or worry about them with lingering concern. To have someone or something on one's mind.

Carries a warm, affectionate tone — parents 惦记 their children away from home; close friends 惦记 each other during long separations. Unlike 担心 (to worry), 惦记 blends concern with fondness and longing. Very commonly used in family and close relationship contexts.

Examples

1. 父母虽嘴上不说，但心里无时无刻不在惦记着远在他乡独立生活的孩子，盼着她平安回家过节。 Even if they don’t say it out loud, her parents constantly worry about their child living independently far from home and hope she can come back safely for the holidays.
2. 老朋友多年未联系，可他总是时不时地惦记起当年一起奋斗的那段岁月，心中不免涌起几分惆怅。 He hasn’t been in touch with an old friend for years, but he still thinks from time to time about the days they struggled together, and a hint of melancholy inevitably rises in his heart.
3. 她只身赴海外求学后，爷爷每隔几天便会发来一条简短的微信，说是怕她忙，只是惦记她，叫她保重身体。 After she went abroad alone to study, her grandfather would send a brief WeChat message every few days, saying he didn’t want to interrupt her if she was busy—he just missed her and wanted her to take care of herself.

Usage Guide

Context: family, friendship, emotional expression, everyday speech

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 每逢佳节，在外打拼的游子最惦记的莫过于家中年迈的父母，那份牵挂是任何距离都无法切断的情感纽带。(On every festival, those working and striving far from home miss nothing more than their ageing parents back home — that longing is an emotional bond that no distance can sever.)
• 你这次出差时间这么长，大家都惦记着你，等你回来一定要好好聚一聚，补上这顿迟来的接风宴。(You've been away on this business trip for so long — everyone has been thinking about you. When you get back, we must have a proper get-together to make up for this long-overdue welcome-back dinner.)

Don't Say

• 惦记担心 — while both express concern, mixing them sounds redundant; 惦记 implies fond longing, 担心 pure worry; use whichever fits the emotional register of the context

Origin & History

惦 (to keep in mind with concern and longing) + 记 (to remember, to keep in mind) — to hold in fond and concerned remembrance

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal