愁

A phono-semantic compound combining:

心 (마음 심) — “heart,” indicating feelings or emotion.

秋 (가을 추) — phonetic element, also contributing imagery.

In ancient Chinese symbolism, autumn (秋) represents the season of decline, harvest, and endings — a time when things begin to fade and one feels the transience of life.

When joined with 心, it produces the sense of a heart heavy like autumn, hence “sorrow” or “melancholy.”

Thus, 愁 literally depicts “the heart (心) of autumn (秋)” — a beautiful metaphor for quiet grief and reflection.

수심 (愁心) — sorrowful heart; deep worry

수한 (愁恨) — grief and regret

우수 (憂愁) — sadness; melancholy

소수 (消愁) — to relieve sorrow, often through drink or poetry

Used both in literal and literary contexts, 愁 carries the nuance of quiet emotional heaviness rather than outward grief.

The combination of 心 (heart) and 秋 (autumn) has made 愁 a powerful poetic symbol throughout East Asian literature.

In Chinese and Korean classical poetry, it often evokes:

- autumnal loneliness (the season of decline and reflection),

- parting and longing,

- philosophical sadness at impermanence.

Famous Tang poets such as Li Bai and Du Fu used 愁 to describe the human condition — fleeting beauty, aging, and separation.

In Korean sijo and gasa, 수심 (愁心) appears frequently to express refined emotional restraint.

Thus, 愁 transcends mere “worry,” embodying an aesthetic sadness — the “sweet sorrow” found in autumn’s quietness.