憎 (zēng): to detest

Meanings

1 to detest
2 to loathe
3 to hate

Characters

憎

zēng

to detest / to loathe

Examples

他憎恶一切虚伪的行为。

Tā zēngwù yīqiè xūwěi de xíngwéi.

He detests all forms of hypocrisy.

爱憎分明是他性格中最突出的特点。

Ài zēng fēnmíng shì tā xìnggé zhōng zuì tūchū de tèdiǎn.

Having clear-cut likes and dislikes is the most prominent characteristic of his personality.

Tips

usage

憎 is rarely used alone; it most commonly appears in compounds: 憎恨 (zēnghèn, to hate), 憎恶 (zēngwù, to loathe), and 爱憎 (àizēng, love and hate).

memory

The character combines 心 (heart) with 曾 (once/ever) — a heart that has been wronged or burdened carries deep resentment.

Components

radical

忄 xīn

heart (radical form)

Left heart radical (the side-form of 心) — the indexing radical, marking 憎 as an emotion. Anchors it in the inner-feeling family with 恨 to hate, 怒 angry, 怕 afraid, 怀 to harbour. Whenever a Chinese verb names a state of mind or strong feeling, 忄 is usually pinned to the left.

phonetic

曾 céng

once; ever (here phonetic)

Right 曾 supplies the sound, drifting from céng to zēng with a tone change. The 'once, formerly' sense plays no part; pure sound peg. Same phonetic powers 增 to increase, 赠 to give, 蹭 to scuff. The shared 'stacking, piling' image of 曾's ancestor (a layered steamer) faintly fits hatred as a cumulative resentment.