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Kotomora

憂

melancholy, grieve, lament, be anxious, sad, unhappy

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • ユウ

Kun'yomi

  • うれ.える
  • うれ.い
  • う.い
  • う.き

Nanori

  • ゆ

Meaning

憂 centers on a heavy, inward emotional state: sadness, melancholy, grieving, or anxious worry. The meanings all describe a troubled heart.

Most common words using 憂

20 of 57
  • 憂鬱ゆううつ
    N2

    depression; melancholy; dejection; gloom; despondency

  • 憂さうさ

    gloom; sadness; melancholy; despondency; cares; worries

  • 憂いうれい

    sorrow; grief; anguish; distress

  • 憂慮ゆうりょ

    anxiety; concern; fear

  • 一喜一憂いっきいちゆう

    alternating between happiness and anxiety; swinging between joy and sorrow; being glad and sad by turns; oscillating between optimism and pessimism

  • 杞憂きゆう

    needless fear; groundless apprehension; unfounded worry

  • 憂国ゆうこく

    patriotic concern for the future of one's country

  • 憂き目うきめ

    bitter experience; misery; distress; grief; sad thoughts; hardship

  • 憂ふうれう

    to worry; to be concerned

  • 憂さ晴らしうさばらし

    diversion (from one's worries, troubles, etc.); distraction; amusement

  • 物憂いものうい

    languid; weary; listless; melancholy

  • 憂えうれえ

    lamentation

  • 憂えるうれえる

    to worry about; to be anxious about; to be concerned about

  • 内憂外患ないゆうがいかん

    troubles both at home and abroad

  • 仮の憂き世かりのうきよ

    this transient world

  • 備えあれば憂いなしそなえあればうれいなし

    if you are prepared you don't have to worry; it's good to have a shelter against every storm

  • 備えあれば憂えなしそなえあればうれえなし

    if you are prepared you don't have to worry; 'tis good to have a shelter against every storm; when one is prepared, difficulties do not come

  • 先憂後楽せんゆうこうらく

    worrying before one's people worry, enjoying oneself only after one's people have enjoyed themselves (a precept to be observed by a ruler)

  • 内憂ないゆう

    internal troubles; domestic discord

  • 同憂どうゆう

    sharing the same concern

Explore all words using 憂 →

Study

Etymology

憂 originally depicted a person with a troubled expression, combining 頁 (head) with 心 (heart) and later 夂 (foot), suggesting a worried mind and restless movement. The modern form retains the heart 心 under a complex upper shape.

Meaning mnemonic

The top part looks like a worried face (with 自 and 冖), and the bottom has 心 (heart) and 夂 (walking). Picture a person walking around with a heavy heart and a sad face: that is melancholy and anxiety.

Reading mnemonic

For ユウ, imagine a sad person saying 'you' with a sigh: 'you' -> ユウ, as if blaming someone for their grief.