恐惧

恐懼

kǒngjù

noun HSK 7-9 #1,641

Meanings

1 fear; dread
2 terror

Characters

Both characters mean fear — together they express deep, visceral dread.

Examples

她内心充满了恐惧。

Tā nèixīn chōngmǎn le kǒngjù.

Her heart was filled with fear.

我们要勇敢地面对恐惧。

Wǒmen yào yǒnggǎn demiàn duì kǒngjù.

We must bravely face our fears.

Tips

usage

恐惧 is the deepest level of fear in Chinese. The scale goes: 害怕 (hàipà, scared) → 恐惧 (kǒngjù, deep dread) → 恐怖 (kǒngbù, terror/horror). 恐惧症 (kǒngjùzhèng) means 'phobia.'

Stroke Order

恐 kǒng

惧 jù