惊

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to startle; to be frightened; to be scared; alarm

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Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

忄 meaning “heart” + 京 sound ( jīng )

Components 忄京

startled · Heisig RSH #579

state of mind + capitol building

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
惊天动地	jīng tiān dòng dì	(idiom) world-shaking
惊为天人	jīng wéi tiān rén	(lit.) to be astonished as if beholding a heavenly being (idiom); (fig.) to be astounded b…
大吃一惊	dà chī yī jīng	(idiom) astounded; flabbergasted; taken aback
大惊失色	dà jīng shī sè	to turn pale with fright (idiom)
天惊石破	tiān jīng shí pò	see 石破天驚\|石破天惊[shi2 po4 tian1 jing1]
石破天惊	shí pò tiān jīng	earth-shattering; breakthrough; remarkable and original work
处变不惊	chǔ biàn bù jīng	to remain calm in the face of events (idiom)
大惊	dà jīng	with great alarm
惊人	jīng rén	astonishing
语惊四座	yǔ jīng sì zuò	to make a remark that startles everyone present (idiom); (of a remark) startling
心惊	xīn jīng	fearful; apprehensive
惊心	jīng xīn	staggering; shocking; frightened
惊马	jīng mǎ	startled horse
惊动	jīng dòng	to alarm; to startle; to disturb
惊人之举	jīng rén zhī jǔ	to astonish people (with a miraculous feat)
出惊	chū jīng	see 吃驚\|吃惊[chi1 jing1]
惊车	jīng chē	runaway carriage (caused by the harnessed animal bolting in fright)
惊风	jīng fēng	infantile convulsion (illness affecting children esp. under the age of five, marked by mus…
虚惊一场	xū jīng yī chǎng	(idiom) a false alarm; a scare that turns out to be nothing
有惊无险	yǒu jīng wú xiǎn	to be more scared than hurt (idiom); to get through a daunting experience without mishap

Characters sharing the sound component 京 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
京 sound part	jīng	capital city
就	jiù	just, simply; to go to; to approach, near
凉	liáng	cool, cold; disheartened
琼	qióng	jade; rare, precious; elegant
鲸	jīng	whale
掠	lüè	to pillage, to ransack
椋	liáng	fruit
谅	liàng	to excuse, to forgive; to guess, to presume
晾	liàng	to air-dry; to sun-dry
黥	qíng	to tattoo; to brand the face of criminals
辌	liáng	carriage, hearse