慟

A phono-semantic compound consisting of:

心 (heart) — semantic component, indicating emotion

動 (to move) — phonetic component, giving the sound "통 / tòng"

The combination suggests a heart so shaken that it is “moved” or stirred violently, conveying overwhelming grief.

비통 (悲慟) — profound grief

통곡 (慟哭) — bitter crying; wailing

통탄 (慟歎) — deep lamentation

慟 is not used for everyday sadness. It typically appears in formal, literary, or elegiac contexts and describes emotion beyond restraint.

Often used to describe collective grief, such as national tragedy or death of a great figure.

Unlike sadness (悲) or sorrow (哀), 慟 emphasizes intensity—a grief that cannot be restrained.

Related characters:

悲 — sorrow; sadness

哀 — mourning; pity

哭 — to weep

慘 — miserable; tragic

憂 — worry; distress

Among these, 慟 marks the strongest emotional intensity.

Classical citations:

《後漢書》 (Book of the Later Han Dynasty)

「聞之者莫不悲慟」

“All who heard it could not but grieve deeply.”

《文選·哀詔》 (Wenxuan, Anthology of Literature)

「舉朝哀慟」

“The entire court was plunged into mourning.”

Buddhist texts

「生死別離，令人悲慟」

“Separation by birth and death causes profound grief.”