Chinese word

仇

Pronunciation

Pinyinchóu

Meaning

  • nounenemy

Example

他成了我的仇。tā chéng le wǒ de chóu

He became my enemy.

Illustration for 仇 (enemy)

More examples

他为了替父亲报这笔仇，多年都没能释怀。tā wèi le tì fù qīn bào zhè bǐ chóu duō nián dōu méi néng shì huái

To avenge his father, he could not let go of this grudge for many years.

Core concept

Resentment gathers around an opponent until that opponent becomes the focus of hostility.

Common phrases

  • 结下仇jié xià chóu

    become enemies

  • 世仇shì chóu

    family feud

  • 报仇bào chóu

    take revenge

Similar words

敌人dí rén: An opposing person or group in a struggle or conflict.
仇人chóu rén: An enemy who is hated because of harm done in the past.
冤家yuān jiā: A recurring adversary connected by an ongoing dispute or feud.
宿敌sù dí: An archrival linked to a deep and long-lasting hostility.

Definition in Chinese

怀有怨恨并可能寻求报复的人，或因怨恨而成为敌对的对象，也可泛指仇敌。huái yǒu yuàn hèn bìng kě néng xún qiú bào fù de rén huò yīn yuàn hèn ér chéng wéi dí duì de duì xiàng yě kě fàn zhǐ chóu dí

Word origin

The character 仇 (chóu, "enemy") combines the person marker 人 (rén, "person") with 九 (jiǔ, "nine") as its phonetic element, and the word has long referred to an opponent connected with resentment.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this noun used on its own can sound literary, while casual Chinese often makes the person reference more explicit.

Other meanings

  • grudgenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word