恐惧

• Pinyin: kǒng jù
• Hanzi breakdown: 恐 = 巩 + 心 (heart); 惧 = 忄(heart) + 具 (tool)

Meaning

Fear; dread; terror. A deep feeling of being afraid.

Describes the emotion of fear itself, often used in psychological or literary contexts. Can be modified to describe specific fears or general anxiety. More literary than 害怕.

Examples

1. 她克服了内心的恐惧，勇敢地站了出来。 She overcame her inner fear and bravely stepped forward.
2. 对未知的恐惧是人类的本能反应。 Fear of the unknown is a human instinctive response.
3. 他眼中流露出深深的恐惧。 Deep fear showed in his eyes.

Usage Guide

Context: psychology, literature, emotion

Tone: intense

Do Say

• 他充满了恐惧。(He was filled with fear.)
• 克服恐惧需要勇气。(Overcoming fear requires courage.)

Don't Say

• 我恐惧蟑螂。(For phobias, use 怕 — 恐惧 is more abstract and literary)

Origin & History

Compound of 恐 (fear) + 惧 (dread). Both characters relate to fear, creating a formal, literary term.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal