怖

A phono-semantic compound consisting of:

心 (heart) — semantic component, shows it relates to emotional state;

布 — phonetic component, supplying the sound (포 / bù).

The character conveys the idea of fear arising in the heart.

Semantic development:

- emotional fear;

- terror or dread;

- extreme fright.

Often paired with 恐 to intensify meaning (恐怖).

In Korean, 怖 most commonly appears in 공포 (fear).

공포 (恐怖) — fear; terror

포악 (暴惡) — violent and cruel (semantically related to fear contexts)

怖 emphasizes emotional fear arising internally.

Frequently appears in psychological, literary, and media contexts (e.g., horror genre).

The emotional nuance is stronger than simple 걱정 (worry).

Related characters:

恐 — fear; dread

怕 — to fear

懼 — to fear; to dread

驚 — to be startled