melancholy, grieve, lament, be anxious

About this kanji

The kanji 憂 (ゆう) primarily expresses the idea of melancholy or sadness. It is often used as a noun when referring to feelings of anxiety or lamentation. Some common compounds include 憂慮 (ゆうりょ), meaning anxiety, and 憂鬱 (ゆううつ), which refers to depression. There’s also the verb 憂える (うれえる), meaning to worry about something. A notable expression is 一喜一憂 (いっきいちゆう), which describes the emotional ups and downs of alternating between joy and anxiety. When using this kanji, keep in mind that it often reflects deeper emotional states, emphasizing the complexity of human feelings.

Example sentences

• 彼の憂いを理解することが大切だ。

  It is important to understand his worries.

Meanings across languages

English

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

Tiếng Việt

buồn rầu

日本語

憂い

한국어

우울한

中文

忧郁

id

melankolis

th

ความเศร้าโศก

es

melancolía

fr

mélancolie

de

Melancholie

pt

melancolia

Common compounds

• 憂慮ゆうりょanxiety, concern, fear
• 憂鬱ゆううつdepression, melancholy, dejection
• 憂えるうれえるto worry about, to be anxious about, to be concerned about
• 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
• 杞憂きゆうneedless fear, groundless apprehension, unfounded worry
• 憂き目うきめbitter experience, misery, distress
• 憂いうれいsorrow, grief, anguish
• 憂国ゆうこくpatriotic concern for the future of one's country