Difference between revisions of "Comparing "gaoxing" and "kaixin""
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| − | * | + | * 我 <em>开心</em>地 笑 了 笑。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>kāixīn</em> de xiào le xiào.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 她 很 <em>开心</em>地 吃 完 了 晚饭。 <span class="pinyin">Tā hěn <em>kāixīn</em> de chī wán le wǎnfàn.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 今天 我们 在 公园 玩得 很 <em>开心</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān wǒmen zài gōngyuán wán de hěn <em>kāixīn</em>.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 你 能 来，我 太 <em>开心</em> 了。 <span class="pinyin">Nǐ néng lái, wǒ tài <em>kāixīn</em> le.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 我 在 上海 过得 非常 <em>开心</em>。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ zài Shànghǎi guo de fēicháng <em>kāixīn</em>.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 认识 你 很 <em>高兴</em>！ <span class="pinyin">Rènshi nǐ hěn <em>gāoxìng</em>!</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 我 很 <em>高兴</em> 我的 中文 变 好 了。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ hěn <em>gāoxìng</em> wǒ de Zhōngwén biàn hǎo le.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 听到 这个 笑话，我 有点 不 <em>高兴</em> 了。 <span class="pinyin">Tīngdào zhège xiàohuà, wǒ yǒudiǎn bù <em>gāoxìng</em> le.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 我 有 一 件 <em>高兴</em>的 事情 告诉 你。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ yǒu yī jiàn <em>gāoxìng</em> de shìqing gàosu nǐ.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
| − | * | + | * 我 很 <em>高兴</em> 我们 又 见面 了。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ hěn <em>gāoxìng</em> wǒmen yòu jiànmiàn le.</span><span class="trans">English translation.</span> |
Revision as of 09:08, 7 March 2022
Both 高兴 (gāoxìng) and 开心 (kāixīn) can translated to mean "happy." Both can be used in formal and informal settings and are often paired with intensifiers like 很 (hěn), 太 (tài), 非常 (fēicháng). A key difference is 高兴 is both an adjective and a verb (meaning "to be happy"), whereas 开心 is only an adjective. A final difference is 高兴 is used in fixed patterns like when you meet someone for the first to and say “pleased to meet you.”
| 高兴 (gāoxìng) | 开心 (kāixīn) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | happy | happy |
| Part of Speech | adjective | adjective |
| Formality | flexible | flexible |
Contents
In common patterns "happy" 高兴 and 开心 are interchangeable
The following examples work with both 高兴 and 开心.
Common Phrases
- 很～ very ~
- 太～了 so ~
- 非常～ very ~
Example Sentences
For each the following sentences, 高兴 and 开心 are correct:
- 我 开心地 笑 了 笑。 English translation.
- 她 很 开心地 吃 完 了 晚饭。 English translation.
- 今天 我们 在 公园 玩得 很 开心。 English translation.
- 你 能 来，我 太 开心 了。 English translation.
- 我 在 上海 过得 非常 开心。 English translation.
- 认识 你 很 高兴！ English translation.
- 我 很 高兴 我的 中文 变 好 了。 English translation.
- 听到 这个 笑话，我 有点 不 高兴 了。 English translation.
- 我 有 一 件 高兴的 事情 告诉 你。 English translation.
- 我 很 高兴 我们 又 见面 了。 English translation.
To say “pleased to meet you” use 高兴
This sentence is not a traditional Chinese saying; it's more of a translation from English (or perhaps other European languages). In this case it's not that 开心 (kāixīn) is necessarily wrong; it's just that there's already a set phrase that everyone knows, using 高兴 (gāoxìng).
- 认识 你 很 高兴。 Pleased to meet you.
- 很 高兴 认识 你。 Pleased to meet you.
We're using "pleased to meet you" instead of "nice to meet you" because "pleased" is closer to "happy," but you can translate that as "nice" in your head if you like.
Sources and further reading
Websites
- "高兴" 和 "开心" 和有什么不一样? | HiNative
