憶

Originally referring to mental recollection or remembrance, 憶 expresses the act of bringing past thoughts or feelings into awareness, often with an undertone of emotion or longing.

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

心 (마음 심) — semantic component, indicating the mind, thought, or emotion.

意 (뜻 의) — phonetic component, providing both the sound yì / eok and the related sense of meaning, intention, thought.

Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「憶，念也。从心，意聲。」

“憶 means to think or to recall. Composed of 心 (‘heart, mind’) and phonetic 意 (‘thought’).”

Thus, 憶 represents thought arising from the heart — the emotionally infused act of remembering.

It is not abstract recollection but remembrance that stirs feeling — an emotional memory, rather than mere cognition.

記憶 (기억) — memory; remembrance; to remember

追憶 (추억) — recollection; cherished remembrance

回憶 (회억) — to recall; reminiscence

憶念 (억념) — deep thought; recollective meditation

憶想 (억상) — to recall imaginatively

憶夢 (억몽) — dream recollection

憶舊 (억구) — to remember old times or past friends

In Confucian and Daoist thought, 憶 relates to the continuity of the self through remembrance.

Memory preserves filial emotion (孝), loyalty (忠), and moral consciousness (良知) — the heart that does not forget.

In Buddhist literature, 憶念 (억념) and 念佛 (염불) are key meditative terms meaning “mindful recollection.”

To 憶念佛 is to recall the Buddha constantly, not merely by thought but through the deep remembrance of heart and mind.

「常憶念佛，心不離佛。」

“Always remember the Buddha; let the heart never depart from Him.”

This connects 憶 with the Sanskrit term smṛti (mindfulness, recollection), showing how memory becomes a spiritual act of presence.

In classical literature, 憶 often conveys nostalgia or affectionate remembrance, such as in poems describing longing for one’s homeland or loved ones.

「故人相見少，惟憶舊山川。」

“Old friends seldom meet — I only remember the rivers and mountains of the past.”

In Tang poetry, 憶 appears frequently in contexts of homesickness, separation, and longing:

「簫聲咽，秦娥夢斷秦樓月。」 李白《憶秦娥》

“The flute’s tone fades; the Qin maiden’s dream is broken beneath the moon” Li Bai "Remembering Qin E"

Here, 憶 implies nostalgic recollection intertwined with poetic imagination.

In Korean classical usage, 억 retains this emotional resonance — 추억 (追憶) and 기억 (記憶) convey not only memory but personal attachment and sentiment.

Semantic field:

While 思 (to think) expresses general thought and 想 (to imagine) implies creative or anticipatory thought,

憶 occupies a deeply emotional register, meaning to recall with the heart:

思 — To think, to ponder (mild)

想 — To imagine, to visualize (moderate)

憶 — To remember with feeling (deep)

念 — To think of, to keep in mind (affectionate / meditative)

Thus, 憶 stands at the intersection of emotion and cognition, embodying memory as feeling.

From Confucian remembrance of virtue to Buddhist mindful recollection, 憶 embodies the human capacity to preserve meaning and connection through time — the remembrance that sustains the soul.