悼 (dào) - to mourn & to grieve

悼Tone 4

dào ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

悼 · dào

to mourn;

to grieve;

lamentation;

sorrow for the dead.

to mournto grievelamentation

Usage highlights

to mournto lamentelegypoem lamenting the deadmemorial serviceto mourn the deceased

Synonyms

  • 哀— sorrow; grief; mourning
  • 悲— sadness; sorrow
  • 伤— to grieve; to be sad

Antonyms

  • 庆— to celebrate; celebration
  • 喜— joy; happiness

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We mourn the passing of a great leader (悼念领袖).
  • The funeral was filled with expressions of grief (哀悼).
  • He wrote a poem to lament his friend's death (悼亡诗).
  • The nation held a day of mourning (全国哀悼日).

Collocations

  • to mourn(悼念)
  • to lament(哀悼)
  • elegy(悼词)
  • poem lamenting the dead(悼亡诗)
  • memorial service(追悼会)
  • to mourn the deceased(悼亡)

Idioms

  • To mourn with deep sorrow(痛悼不已)
  • To lament the deceased and comfort the living(悼亡慰存)
  • To grieve and cherish the memory(悼念缅怀)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, formal expressions of grief and mourning are considered important for showing respect to the deceased.
  • The character appears in various formal contexts of bereavement, such as memorial services and written elegies.
  • Classical Chinese literature contains many '悼亡诗' (poems lamenting the dead), particularly those written by husbands mourning their wives.

FAQ