HanziGuru.恨 · hèn
恨
hèn[hen4]Tone 4

to hate, to regret

HSK 5
Guru Deep Dive

English · to hate, to regret

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:9
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (vertical heart) is narrower and compressed vertically, while the right phonetic component occupies more weight and width on the right.
1. Meaning

to hate

to regretto feel bitter about
VerbNeutral#emotions#psychology#relationships
Sample Usage
  • 我恨你！
    wǒ hèn nǐ!
    I hate you!
  • 恨晚
    hèn wǎn
    to regret being too late
2. Sound
/[xən⁵¹]/Tone: 51
恨
hènhen4
++
`(51)
=hèn
Initial Consonant
h
Type: Velar Fricative
Sounds like: h sound like in 'hat'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Gentle throat friction (like fogging glasses on a cold day).
Tongue & Mouth Position: Glottal fricative with tongue relaxed low in the mouth
Final Rhyme
en
Vowel Group: -e vowel group
Sounds like: -en rhymes with 'en' in 'hen'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'uhn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 is a strong, abrupt drop from pitch level 5 to 1, similar to a sharp command or an angry downward nod.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with hén (rising tone 35) or hěn (dipping tone 214, as in 很 hěn). Tone 4 drops immediately from the very top.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 4 starts high and plunges sharply down, just like expressing sudden disappointment or an emphatic 'No!'
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (vertical heart) is narrower and compressed vertically, while the right phonetic component occupies more weight and width on the right.

4. Components

Radical 忄 · Vertical Heart Radical (emotions, feelings, states of mind)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 忄 (indicates the character is related to an emotion or heart feeling)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 艮 (original sound: gěn / hèn)

The vertical heart (忄) on the left provides the emotional core (heartfelt feeling), while the right side (艮 gèn) provides the sound and the idea of being stubborn or stopping abruptly.

  • 忄 heart / emotion
  • 艮 stubborn / stopping sound element
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the heart radical (忄) representing inner feelings and 艮 (gèn) acting as the phonetic indicator which also originally suggested a stiff, unyielding posture.

Semantic Evolution: Originally conveyed a stiff, rigid state of emotional displeasure or resentment, evolving into modern meanings of intense dislike (hate) and strong regret.

  • In classical Chinese literature, 恨 often carried a softer nuance of profound regret or wistful longing rather than sheer malice.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: コン (kon) / Kun: うらむ (uramu)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
한
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Your **heart** (忄) becomes completely **stubborn and rigid** (艮) toward someone who wronged you, turning deep inside into pure **hate** (hèn).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
很
hěnveryAdd heart radical (忄) + 艮 = hěn (very). Wait, both use忄! Note that 恨 is hèn (hate) and 很 is hěn (very). Very uses the same components but different tones!
根
gēnrootChange heart radical (忄) to wood radical (木) to get root (gēn).
跟
gēnto followChange heart radical (忄) to foot radical (足) to get follow (gēn).
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
很(hěn)
恨 (hèn) has Tone 4 and means 'hate' (harsh drop of emotion); 很 (hěn) has Tone 3 and means 'very' (extremely common modifier).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们不应该轻易去[___]别人。
Clue: hèn
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone with hěn (很 - very). Pronouncing hèn with a dipping tone instead of a sharp, angry falling tone (Tone 4).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What is the English meaning of 恨 and what is its tone?
Production: How do you write the Chinese character for 'to hate / to regret' (hèn) using the heart radical?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

恨hènto hate, to regret
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube