悔

Phono-semantic compound:

心 (heart, mind) – semantic, indicating emotions and inner feelings.

每 (each, every; phonetic) – provides the sound.

Originally depicted the feeling of regret or repentance arising from the heart.

Semantic range:

- to repent, to feel remorse;

- to regret past actions;

- moral reflection, acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

悔恨 (회한) – deep regret, remorse

悔改 (회개) – repentance, turning back from wrongdoing

後悔 (후회) – regret (after the fact)

自悔 (자회) – self-reproach, regretting oneself

Often paired with 恨 (hate, resentment) as 悔恨, denoting profound remorse mixed with sorrow.

In Buddhist and Confucian texts, 悔 frequently appears in the context of moral self-cultivation, urging sincere repentance as the path toward correction.