Difference between revisions of "Comparing "gaoxing" and "kaixin""

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* 很~ <span class="pinyin">Hěn </span><span class="trans">very ~</span>
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* 很开心 <span class="pinyin">Hěn kāixīn</span><span class="trans">very happy</span>
* 太~了 <span class="pinyin">Tài le</span><span class="trans">so ~</span>
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* 太开心了 <span class="pinyin">Tài kāixīn le</span><span class="trans">so happy</span>
* 非常~ <span class="pinyin">Fēicháng </span><span class="trans">very ~</span>
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* 非常高兴 <span class="pinyin">Fēicháng gāoxìng</span><span class="trans">very happy</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 04:58, 1 April 2022

Both 高兴 (gāoxìng) and 开心 (kāixīn) can translated as "happy." Both can be used in formal and informal settings, although 高兴 (gāoxìng) as perhaps a tiny bit more formal. Both words are often paired with intensifiers like 很 (hěn), 太 (tài), 非常 (fēicháng). A final difference is that 高兴 (gāoxìng) is used in fixed patterns like when you meet someone for the first time and say “pleased to meet you.”











A2HSK4ASV4567
高兴 (gāoxìng) 开心 (kāixīn)
Meaning happy happy
Part of Speech adjective adjective
Formality flexible flexible

In common patterns "happy" 高兴 and 开心 are interchangeable

The following examples work with both 高兴 and 开心.

Common Phrases

  • 很开心 Hěn kāixīnvery happy
  • 太开心了 Tài kāixīn leso happy
  • 非常高兴 Fēicháng gāoxìngvery happy

Example Sentences

For each the following sentences, 高兴 and 开心 are correct:

  • 今天 我 很 开心Jīntiān wǒ hěn kāixīn .I'm happy today.
  • 你 为什么 不 开心Nǐ wèishénme bù kāixīn ?Why are you not happy?
  • 她 很 开心 地 吃 完 了 晚饭。 Tā hěn kāixīn de chī wán le wǎnfàn.She happily finished her dinner.
  • 今天 我们 在 公园 玩 得 很 开心Jīntiān wǒmen zài gōngyuán wán de hěn kāixīn.We had a lot of fun at the park today.
  • 你 能 来,我 太 开心 了。 Nǐ néng lái, wǒ tài kāixīn le.I am so happy that you could come.
  • 今天 老师 很 高兴Jīntiān lǎoshī hěn gāoxìng .Today the teacher is happy.
  • 我 很 高兴 我的 中文 变 好 了。 Wǒ hěn gāoxìng wǒ de Zhōngwén biàn hǎo le.I'm glad my Chinese has gotten better.
  • 听到 这个 笑话,我 有点 不 高兴 了。 Tīngdào zhège xiàohuà, wǒ yǒudiǎn bù gāoxìng le.I'm a little unhappy to hear that joke.
  • 我 有 一 件 高兴 的 事情 告诉 你。 Wǒ yǒu yī jiàn gāoxìng de shìqing gàosu nǐ.I have something happy to tell you about.
  • 我 很 高兴 我们 又 见面 了。 Wǒ hěn gāoxìng wǒmen yòu jiànmiàn le.I'm glad we met again.

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 and expects, using 高兴 (gāoxìng).

  • 认识 你 很 高兴。 Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng.Pleased to meet you.
  • 很 高兴 认识 你。 Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.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