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To feel anxious or troubled about potential problems or future events.
父母对孩子的未来感到忧虑。
Parents feel anxious about their child's future.
经济不景气让很多人忧虑失业。
The economic downturn makes many people worry about unemployment.
Used for ongoing or habitual anxiety, often with a sense of helplessness.
'忧虑' suggests a more profound and lingering anxiety, while '担心' is more general and can imply temporary worry. Compare: '他担心考试不及格' (He is worried about failing the exam) vs. '他忧虑未来的前途' (He worries about his future prospects).
忧虑 typically takes abstract nouns or clauses as objects, such as '未来' (future), '健康' (health), or '孩子的教育' (child's education). It rarely describes physical objects.
Composed of '忧' (yōu, meaning 'sorrow' or 'anxiety') and '虑' (lǜ, meaning 'to consider' or 'to worry'). The compound emphasizes both the emotional state and the cognitive act of worrying.
More formal than '担心' (dānxīn) and implies a deeper, more persistent state of anxiety. Often used in written Chinese or formal speech.