悔

huǐ
verb #16,531

Meanings

  1. 1 to regret
  2. 2 to repent

Examples

HSK 1
Wǒ hòuhuǐ méi qù.
I regret not going.
HSK 6
Tā hěn hòuhuǐ dāngchū de juédìng.
He deeply regrets his earlier decision.

Tips

usage
Common in 后悔 (to regret) and 悔恨 (remorse).

Components

radical
忄 xīn
heart; mind
忄 is the heart radical 心 in left-side form. It places 悔 in the inner-feeling family alongside 怕 怀 怒 情 - all states of mind. Regret happens internally, so the heart header signals the emotional core.
phonetic
每 měi
every; each
每 supplies the sound (měi drifted to huǐ). The same phonetic powers 海 梅 莓 霉. A subtle flavor of constancy and each-time fits regret - repeatedly, every moment, returning to the heart over what cannot be undone.

Stroke Order

悔 huǐ