悩 means “worry, be troubled”

なやむ · nayamu

Also: trouble, in pain, distress

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

なやむ, なやます, なやましい, なやみ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ノウ

JLPT N2 · Taught in secondary school · 10 strokes

The story

A heart (忄) beside the same hair-topped skull as 脳, the brain: head and heart tangled up together. 悩む is to agonize, and on New Year's Eve temple bells ring 108 times, traditionally one for each 煩悩, the worldly desires that trouble us.

Used in 悩む (nayamu, to worry), 悩み (nayami, worry/problem), and 煩悩 (bonnou, worldly desires)

More from Heart & Mind

• 珍 rare
• 叫 shout
• 憎 hate
• 肯 affirm
• 依 depend
• 純 pure
• 快 pleasant

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

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