Taxonomy of meanings for 閔:　　

  • 閔 mǐn (OC: mrɯnʔ MC: mɯin) 眉殞切 上 廣韻：【傷也病也又姓孔子弟子閔損 】
    • SAD
      • nsubjectwhat makes one sad> disconcerting or saddening episodes, sad things
      • vi.red:adNvery sad, disconcerted
      • vi.redbe quite sad; be disconcerted
      • vtoNPab{S}stativefeel sad that S
      • vtoSstativebe concerned that, be saddened by the fact that S, be disconcerted that S
    • SYMPATHY
      • vtoNPab{S}stativefeel pity about the fact that S
      • vadNpitiful
      • nabpsychcommiseration, feelings of sympathy for those in distress
      • vt[oN]actfeel sympathy for others
      • DELETEdeserve sympathy> be miserable, be pitiful
      • v-V1.adV2pitifully
      • vtoNab{S}feel sympathy in the face of the situation that S
      • vtoNbe compassionate with; feel compassion for
      • vt(oN)feel sympathy for the contextually determinate N
      • vtoNgradedbe sympathised with 甚可愍
    • DISTRESS
      • WORRY
        • STRIVE FOR
          • COURAGE
              (暋)
            • ILLNESS
              • STUPID
                • CITIES
                  • SURNAMES
                    • MALES OF LU
                      • RULERS OF LU

                        Additional information about 閔

                        說文解字: 【閔】，弔者在門也。从門、文聲。 【臣鉉等曰：今別作憫，非是。】 【睂殞切】 【 〔小徐本作「古文閔從思、民。」〕

                          Criteria
                        • SYMPATHY

                          1. The standard word for sympathy and commiseration in psychological attitude as well as in action is xù 恤 / 卹 (ant. rěn 忍 "heartless").

                          2. Mǐn 閔／憫 (ant. cán 殘 "cruel and heartless") is a purely psychological word referring to feelings of deep concern and sympathy, often coupled with sadness and a desire to act to improve things. See also SADNESS

                          3. Jīn 矜 expresses, apparently, a somewhat higher intensity in the purely psychological feelings of sympathy.

                          4. Āi 哀 refers to passive concern for what one unfortunately can do little about.

                          5. Lián 憐 refers to sympathy as loving warm concern and a wish to show this loving concern in action.

                        • SAD

                          1. The general word for sadness of any kind is bēi 悲 (ant. huān 歡 "joyful" and xǐ 喜 "delighted").

                          2. Yōu 悠 refers to a pensive listlessness, a wistful kind of sadness.

                          3. Qī 悽 (ant. lè 樂 "feel acute profound joy") refers to acute profound unhappiness.

                          4. Yù 鬱 (ant. xīn 欣 "in high spirits") refers to largely endogenic sadness or depression.

                          5. Shāng 傷 (ant. yuè 悅 "be pleased") refers to sadness caused by identifiable external conditions.

                          6. Cǎn 慘／憯 refers poetically to a kind of despondency.

                          7. Mǐn 閔 / 憫 is a very poetic word which typically refers to a kind of sadness that has external causes and can be close to compassion.

                          8. Chóu 愁 refers to an internalised sadness one is reluctant to show openly.

                          9. Qī 戚 / 慽 is an archaising elevated word for sadness that is common in poetry.

                          10. Qī chuàng 悽愴 refers to sadness typically associated with regret or even remorse.

                          NB: The vocabulary of sadness in Chinese poses very special problems because it is to huge: in many cases I am quite unable to determine the exact nuances. This subject requires a special monograph.