忧虑

• Pinyin: yōu lǜ
• Hanzi breakdown: 忧 = 忄+ 尤 (heart + excessive — overwhelmed); 虑 = 虍 + 思 (tiger + think — deliberate concern, worry)

Meaning

To worry; to be anxious; to harbour deep and sustained concern about a specific matter. More serious and substantive than everyday worry.

Unlike the diffuse emotional state of 忧愁 (sorrow), 忧虑 is directed at specific, identifiable concerns: 对未来的忧虑 (anxiety about the future), 安全忧虑 (security concerns), 忧虑重重 (weighed down by many worries). Functions as both a verb and a noun. Common in political analysis, international affairs commentary, and psychological discourse.

Examples

1. IMF在最新展望报告中对债务上升和贸易碎片化表达深切忧虑，并警告全球经济衰退风险上升。 In its latest outlook report, the IMF expressed deep concern over rising debt and trade fragmentation, and warned that global recession risks are increasing.
2. 专家圆桌上，尽管各方在减排路径上有分歧，但都对全球应对气候变化行动不足表达了强烈忧虑。 At the expert roundtable, although the participants disagreed on emission-cutting paths, they all voiced strong concern about the world's weak response to climate change.
3. 研究表明，父母过度忧虑若长期传给孩子，会抑制其探索能力，使他们更倾向于回避挑战。 Research shows that if parents' excessive worry is passed on to children over a long period, it can suppress their exploratory ability and make them more likely to avoid challenges.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, economics, psychology, international affairs

Tone: concerned

Do Say

• 多国智库对人工智能进入核指挥系统表示深切忧虑，认为这会压缩危机中人类干预的时间。(Think tanks in several countries have expressed deep concern about artificial intelligence entering nuclear command systems, saying it would reduce the time available for human intervention in a crisis.)
• 多国医学专家对抗生素耐药性全球蔓延表达高度忧虑，并呼吁各国建立跨部门、跨国协调机制。(Medical experts from several countries expressed grave concern about the global spread of antibiotic resistance and urged governments to establish cross-sector, cross-border coordination mechanisms.)

Don't Say

• 我忧虑今晚吃什么 — 忧虑 implies serious, sustained concern about substantive matters; for trivial everyday decisions, use 纠结 (torn/undecided) or 烦恼; 忧虑 about dinner sounds disproportionately grave

Origin & History

忧 (sorrow/anxiety — 忄heart overwhelmed) + 虑 (to deliberate/worry — 虍 tiger head + 思 think; careful deliberative thought, hence worry)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal