Comparing "gaoxing" and "kuaile"

高兴 (adjective and verb) and 快乐 (adjective) both can be translated as happy or joyful, nonetheless they usually cannot be used interchangeably. 高兴 is used in informal/formal situations, while 快乐 is used in formal situations. In the sense of “happy”, 高兴 usually describes a feeling that is expressed outwardly with action or word (think cheerful), whereas 快乐 describes a feeling that one feels on the inside (think joyful).

B1HSK4ASV4567

	高兴 (gāoxìng)	快乐 (kuàilè)
Meaning	happy, cheerful	happy, joyful
Part of Speech	adjective	adjective, noun
Formality	flexible	formal

:Yes

To show a cheerful emotion that is expressed outwardly with action and word use 高兴.

Think of a happy person with a big smile, a person enjoying a meal with friends, the feeling at a holiday, all of these use 高兴.

Common Phrases

• 很高兴
• 非常高兴

To express an inner feeling that is felt on the inside and hard to find words to express use 快乐.

Think of the feeling you have after finishing a hard task, or winning a competition. Simply put, this is pure joy.

Fixed Phrases

• 感到快乐
• 非常快乐
• 快乐的生活

To say “nice to meet you” (as in a first time encounter) use 高兴.

Fixed Patterns

• 认识你很高兴
• 很高兴认识你

To say “happy” 快乐 is often used in fixed phrases that cannot be substituted.

This use is very similar to the use of “Happy Birthday”, “Happy New Year”, or “Merry Christmas” in English.

Fixed Phrases

• 生日快乐
• 圣诞节快乐
• 新年快乐
• 春节快乐