愁 means “melancholy, sorrow”

しゅう · shuu

Also: distress, grieve, lament, be anxious

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うれえる, うれい

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 13 strokes

The story

Autumn (秋) over the heart (心): the wistful mood that comes as the leaves fall. 愁 is quiet sadness: 郷愁 is nostalgia for home, 哀愁 is melancholy, and 旅愁 is the loneliness that settles in on a long journey.

Used in 郷愁 (kyoushuu, nostalgia), 哀愁 (aishuu, melancholy), and 愁い (urei, grief)

More from Joy & Sorrow

• 憧 long for
• 爽 refreshing
• 憬 yearning
• 鬱 gloom
• 歓 delight
• 慰 console
• 悔 regret
• 奮 stir up
• 嘆 lament
• 憂 anxiety
• 惜 a pity
• 憾 regret

Learn 愁 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.