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HSK 3

担心

to worry; to be concerned

verbneutral
担
dān1st tone
心
xīn1st tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
dānxīn
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
12
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 担心

担心 is written with 12 strokes (担: 8, 心: 4). The animation replays automatically.

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 by character

担dānto carry on a shoulder pole; to bear
+
心xīnheart
=
担心

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

别担心bié dānxīndon't worry
担心孩子dānxīn háizito worry about (one's) child
很担心hěn dānxīnvery worried
不用担心búyòng dānxīnno need to worry
担心身体dānxīn shēntǐto worry about (someone's) health

Synonyms

着急zháojí

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jǐnzhāng

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.

Don't confuse 担心 with

放心fàngxīn

放心 ('put the heart down') is the opposite of 担心 — to feel relieved, to stop worrying. When comforting someone, you can say 你放心 ('rest assured') instead of 别担心 ('don't worry').

关心guānxīn

关心 means 'to care about' — positive concern, looking out for someone. 担心 is anxious worry about a bad outcome. A parent 关心 their child (cares about them) and may also 担心 them (worries about them).

FAQ

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