挂念

• Pinyin: guà niàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 挂 = 扌 (hand) + 卦 (trigram) — to be attached or hung upon; 念 = 今 (now) + 心 (heart) — the heart fixed on the present moment, to think of or miss

Meaning

To miss; to think of with concern; to worry about someone who is away or in difficulty. Expresses a feeling of longing mixed with care.

挂念 implies an emotional sense of concern and longing for someone, typically a family member or close friend who is far away or facing hardship. It suggests an ongoing mental preoccupation — the person is constantly on one's mind and impossible to forget. More formal and literary in tone than 想念.

Examples

1. 父母虽然嘴上不说，但心里始终挂念着在外独自打拼的孩子。 Even if they don’t say it out loud, parents are always worried about the child who’s struggling on their own away from home.
2. 她出差整整一个月，家中年迈的老人和年幼的孩子一直是她最深的挂念。 She was away on business for a full month, and her elderly parents and young child at home were her deepest concern.
3. 战友分别多年，他常常挂念当年同甘共苦、并肩作战的兄弟们。 Separated from his comrades for many years, he often thinks of those brothers who shared hardships and fought side by side back then.

Usage Guide

Context: family, relationships, literature

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 老人最挂念的，就是远在异乡独自生活、音讯稀少的儿子。(What the old man missed most was his son living alone far from home with little news.)
• 她出国留学前，父母千叮万嘱要保重，言语间满是深深的挂念。(Before she went abroad to study, her parents repeatedly urged her to take care of herself, their words filled with deep concern.)

Don't Say

• 把'挂念'用于惦记一件事情或担忧某项工作进展 — 挂念 refers specifically to missing or worrying about a person; use 惦记 for remembering to do something or 担心 for worrying about a matter

Origin & History

挂 (to hang; to be attached to) + 念 (to think of; to miss). Conveys the sense of one's thoughts being hung on someone — unable to let go.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal