HSK · Level 2
130 words
Chinese word
吓
Pronunciation
Pinyinxià
Meaning
- verbscare
Example
门突然开了，把我吓了一跳。mén tū rán kāi le bǎ wǒ xià le yí tiào
The door suddenly opened and gave me a scare.
More examples
电影里的场景把他吓得心跳加快。diàn yǐng lǐ de cháng jǐng bǎ tā xià de xīn tiào jiā kuài
The scene in the movie scared him and made his heart beat faster.
Core concept
A sudden force that makes another person recoil or feel danger, from an unexpected event to an intimidating act.
Common phrases
吓一跳xià yí tiào
give someone a scare
被吓到bèi xià dào
be scared
吓坏了xià huài le
be badly frightened
Similar words
吓一跳xià yí tiào: Give someone a brief, sudden startle.
吓到xià dào: Cause someone to react strongly with surprise or fear.
吓坏xià huài: Frighten someone badly.
Definition in Chinese
使人产生短暂的惊讶或恐惧感，强调动作或情况的突然性。shǐ rén chǎn shēng duǎn zàn de jīng yà huò kǒng jù gǎn qiáng diào dòng zuò huò qíng kuàng de tū rán xìng
Word origin
吓 (xià, "scare") is the simplified form of an older character whose mouth element reflects frightening someone through a cry or spoken threat.
Usage tips
- In everyday speech, the verb often appears with a result or degree expression, which distinguishes a brief startle from a much stronger reaction without changing the verb.