驚

A phono-semantic compound:

馬 (“horse”) — semantic element, indicating sudden movement or fright (as horses are easily startled).

敬 (gyeong / jìng, “to respect, to revere”) — phonetic element.

Original image: the sudden startle of a horse, extending metaphorically to human feelings of being startled, alarmed, or frightened.

驚喜 (경희) — surprise and delight

驚恐 (경공) — panic, fright

驚人 (경인) — astonishing, extraordinary

驚異 (경이) — amazement, wonder

驚愕 (경악) — shock, astonishment

In literature, 驚 is frequently used to describe sudden, intense emotional reactions—“startled into awareness,” “shaken from ignorance,” or “moved by awe.”

In Buddhist texts, 驚 often denotes the mind’s disturbance or agitation when confronted with impermanence, serving as a contrast to the calm state of enlightenment.

In Confucian writings, the idea of being “驚” can imply moral vigilance: to be shocked into awareness of one’s duty or the dangers of negligence.

The horse radical emphasizes the instinctive, involuntary reaction, highlighting how 驚 blends the physical startle of animals with the spiritual/emotional shock of humans.

惊 — simplified form used in Mainland China.

Originally, 惊 was a variant of 悢 (“to grieve, to mourn”), but it was later standardized as the simplified form of 驚.