急忙
jímáng · HSK 4
hurriedly
⏱️🏃 急忙 = urgent (急) + busy (忙) → in a rush
急 means urgent/hurried and 忙 means busy. Together they describe doing something hurriedly or in haste. The compound stacks two near-synonyms to intensify the sense of rushed action.
急 — heart radical 心 + 及 (reach)
A semantic-phonetic compound: the heart radical 心 supplies the meaning (an emotional state) while 及 ('to reach, catch up') gives the sound. Originally it depicted a racing, anxious heart — hence the modern senses 'urgent,' 'hurried,' and 'impatient.'
忙 — heart radical 忄 + 亡 (lose/perish)
忙 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The heart radical 忄 gives the meaning, suggesting a state of mind, while 亡 (lose, perish) supplies the sound. The image is of a heart so overwhelmed it 'loses itself' — hence 'busy, hurried, flustered'.