担心
to worry; to be concerned
dānxīn
What does 担心 mean?
担心 (dānxīn) means 'to worry,' 'to be concerned about,' or 'to fret over' something or someone. Literally, 担 means 'to carry on the shoulder / to bear' and 心 means 'heart,' so 担心 pictures carrying a heavy heart — a vivid image for the feeling of worry. It can be used about a person (我担心你 'I'm worried about you'), an event (我担心明天的考试 'I'm worried about tomorrow's exam), or stand alone with 别 (bié) to reassure: 别担心 ('don't worry') is one of the most common comforting phrases in Chinese.
Two notes for English speakers: first, 担心 is a verb, not an adjective — you don't say 我很担心的 in the way you'd say 'I'm worried' as a state. Instead, 我很担心 works as a complete sentence. Second, for stronger anxiety, use 着急 (zháojí, anxious / impatient) or 紧张 (jǐnzhāng, nervous/tense).
Character breakdown
to carry on a shoulder pole; to bear
heart
Memory hook: 担 (carry / bear) + 心 (heart) = carrying a heavy heart — that's exactly what worrying feels like.
Example sentences
妈妈很担心你的身体。
Māma hěn dānxīn nǐ de shēntǐ.
Mom is very worried about your health.
spoken
别担心，我会帮你的。
Bié dānxīn, wǒ huì bāng nǐ de.
Don't worry, I'll help you.
spoken
我担心明天会下雨。
Wǒ dānxīn míngtiān huì xià yǔ.
I'm worried it'll rain tomorrow.
neutral
孩子还没回家，爸爸有点担心。
Háizi hái méi huí jiā, bàba yǒudiǎn dānxīn.
The child hasn't come home yet, and Dad is a little worried.
neutral
Common phrases with 担心
Hear it in real Fluentide episodes
担心 appears in 4 podcast episodes at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
着急 means 'anxious / impatient' — often because of a time pressure or an immediate problem. 担心 is broader, ongoing worry. You 着急 when you're stuck in traffic and late; you 担心 when your kid is sick.
紧张 means 'nervous / tense' — physical-feeling, often before a performance, exam, or speech. 担心 is mental worry about outcomes. You can 担心 a test without being 紧张 right now.