愁
choú · HSK 5
to worry about
😟 愁 = 秋 (autumn) on top of 心 (heart) — autumn-heart, the season of melancholy
The character stacks 秋 over 心: an autumn heart. Classical Chinese poets linked autumn's decay to grief and worry, so 愁 came to mean a heavy, brooding sorrow.
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.