震惊
zhènjīng · HSK 5
shock
⚡😲 震 = quake/tremor + 惊 = startle/alarm
震 carries the sense of an earthquake or tremor; 惊 means to be startled or alarmed. Together they describe a jolt strong enough to shake you — being shocked or astonished by sudden news.
震 — rain radical 雨 + chen 辰 (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 雨 'rain' gives the meaning (weather/sky phenomena), while 辰 supplies the sound. Originally referred to thunder and the shaking it causes, then extended to mean 'shake, quake, tremble' as in earthquakes (地震).
惊 — horse 马 + respect 敬 (phonetic)
Originally written 驚 with 馬 (horse) as the meaning component and 敬 as the phonetic, depicting a horse startled or frightened. The simplified form 惊 replaces 馬 with 忄 (heart radical), shifting the imagery to a startled mind. The core meaning is to be alarmed, surprised, or shocked.