忧愁
yoū choú · HSK 7
to be worried
😟 忧 worry + 愁 sorrow; 愁 = 秋 autumn over 心 heart, an autumn-in-the-heart gloom
Both glyphs stack near-synonyms for distress. 愁 splits into 秋 (autumn) above 心 (heart): the season of fading and falling weighing on the heart, hence the sense of being worried and downcast.
愁 — autumn 秋 (top) + heart 心 (bottom)
A semantic compound combining 秋 (autumn) above 心 (heart). Autumn, with its withering leaves and fading light, traditionally evoked melancholy in Chinese poetry, so 'autumn over the heart' came to mean sorrow, worry, or anxiety. 秋 also hints at the sound.