虞

fear, uneasiness, anxiety, concern, expectation, consideration

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolStrokes13

Readings

On'yomi

Kun'yomi

おそれ
おもんぱか.る
はか.る
うれ.える
あざむ.く
あやま.る
のぞ.む
たの.しむ

Nanori

すけ
もち
やす

Meaning

虞 centers on a worried, watchful state of mind: fearing something bad may happen, feeling uneasy, or carefully considering risks. The expectation sense is a natural extension of anticipating trouble.

Most common words using 虞

不虞ふぐ
unforeseen (occurrence); unexpected (event); accident
憂虞ゆうぐ
anxiety; fear
虞犯ぐはん
being likely to commit a crime; pre-delinquency
虞犯少年ぐはんしょうねん
juvenile deemed likely to commit a crime; pre-delinquent juvenile; status offender
虞美人草ぐびじんそう
common poppy (Papaver rhoeas); corn poppy; field poppy; red poppy

Explore all words using 虞 →

Study

Etymology

虞 combines 虍 (tiger) with 吳, which likely contributes the sound. The tiger component may suggest a watchful, cautious attitude, fitting the meanings of fear and consideration.

Meaning mnemonic

A tiger's head 虍 looms over 吳, like a hidden threat you must watch for. This captures the feeling of unease and careful anticipation.

Reading mnemonic

For グ, imagine a goose (グース) hissing in fear when it sees the tiger shape: goose -> グ, and the goose's anxiety mirrors the kanji's meaning.