Comparing "gaoxing" and "kaixin"
Revision as of 04:40, 4 March 2022 by Malihua (talk | contribs) (→Only 高兴 can be used as a verb, to mean “to be happy to.”)
Both 高兴 and 开心 can translated to mean happy, elated, or joyous. Both can be used in formal/informal settings and are often paired with “很”, “非常”, “十分”. A key difference is 高兴 is both an adjective and a verb, whereas 开心 is only an adjective. A final difference is 高兴 is used in fixed patterns when saying “nice to meet you” (as in a first time encounter).
| 高兴 (gāoxìng) | 开心 (kāixīn) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | happy | happy |
| Part of Speech | adjective | adjective |
| Formality | flexible | flexible |
Contents
To say happy, elated, joyous oftentimes 高兴 and 开心 can be used interchangeably.
The following examples work with both 高兴 and 开心.
Common Patterns
- 非常～
- 很～
- 十分～
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
Only 高兴 can be used as a verb, to mean “to be happy to.”
Sources and further reading
Websites
"高兴" 和 "开心" 和有什么不一样? | HiNative https://zh.hinative.com/questions/17274531
