憧

Expresses the emotional movement of the heart toward a distant or ideal object — a longing imbued with admiration and gentle persistence.

It often appears in the compound 憧憬 (동경), meaning “to yearn for something beautiful or noble.”

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

心 (마음 심) — semantic component, indicating emotion and the realm of the mind.

童 (아이 동) — phonetic component, providing the sound dong and suggesting purity, innocence, or sincerity.

Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字) (post-classical additions):

「憧，慕也。从心，童聲。」

“憧 means to long for (慕). Formed from 心 (heart) with phonetic 童 (child).”

Thus, the literal sense of 憧 is “a childlike heart moving toward what it admires.”

The element 童 contributes not only sound but also the imagery of innocent, untainted yearning — a pure and forward-reaching emotion.

憧憬 (동경) — to yearn for, to admire, to look up to

憧心 (동심) — longing heart; heart moved by admiration

憧想 (동상) — aspiration, dream, wistful thinking (rare)

In most East Asian languages, 憧 survives chiefly in the word 憧憬, representing dreamlike longing for an ideal, a place, or a person.

「憧憬未來」 — “to yearn for the future.”

「少年之心，常懷憧憬。」 — “The heart of youth is always filled with longing.”

The earliest meanings of 憧 emphasized emotional pursuit — the inner drive of the heart toward what is distant yet desired.

Later it came to express both hopeful admiration and wistful longing, blending the intellect of contemplation with the tenderness of feeling.

By the Tang and Song periods, 憧憬 was established as a literary expression for idealistic yearning, especially in poetry describing one’s aspirations, love, or spiritual pursuit.

Cultural and philosophical meaning:

In Confucian moral language, 憧 represents the forward motion of the sincere heart (誠心) toward goodness and virtue — the emotional counterpart to wisdom.

In Daoist and Buddhist writings, it can represent the heart’s gentle motion toward enlightenment, a longing for return to truth or harmony.

The pairing 憧憬, combining motion (憧) and illumination (憬), captures the essence of human aspiration:

憧 — the heart moves forward;

憬 — the heart becomes illuminated.

Together they signify dream and awakening, longing and realization — a balanced cycle of desire and understanding.

Symbolic interpretation:

憧 represents the pure emotional movement of the heart toward something admired or unattainable.

The presence of 童 (child) evokes sincerity, simplicity, and purity — a heart that yearns without deceit.

It portrays the moment before fulfillment, the bright emotional impulse that gives meaning to pursuit itself.

「憧心無盡，如流水之向海。」

“The yearning heart is endless, like water flowing toward the sea.”