憫

A phono-semantic compound, consists of:

心 (heart) — semantic component, indicates emotion or mental state;

閔 — phonetic component, supplies pronunciation "min."

The structure expresses a heart moved by another’s suffering.

동정 (同情) — sympathy

애민 (愛憫) — compassion

민망 (憫惘) — embarrassment (modern semantic shift)

민망하다 (憫惘하다) — embarrassed or awkward

(Originally meaning “to feel troubled or distressed,” later semantic shift, represents a semantic evolution from emotional distress to social embarrassment.)

憫 emphasizes:

- compassion arising from emotional pain;

- a sorrowful heart moved by suffering.

It conveys a deeper moral or empathetic dimension.

In classical texts, 憫 is often used in contexts of moral compassion.

Related characters:

閔 — to grieve; surname

憐 — to pity

悲 — sorrow

慈 — compassion

Among these, 憫 carries solemn, compassionate sorrow.