verb HSK 5
to be grateful · to feel gratitude · to appreciate
Meaning
感激 expresses deep gratitude or appreciation for something someone has done. It conveys a sincere, heartfelt thankfulness, typically for significant help, kindness, or favors. The word carries more emotional weight than simple politeness phrases like 谢谢.
Usage
感激 is used in formal or sincere contexts when expressing genuine gratitude for meaningful actions. It's stronger than 谢谢 and often appears in written language, speeches, or when thanking someone for substantial help. Common patterns include 感激不尽 (eternally grateful) and 非常感激 (very grateful).
Examples
- 01我非常感激你在困难时期对我的帮助。.I'm very grateful for your help during difficult times.
- 02他对老师多年的教导感激不尽。.He is eternally grateful for the teacher's guidance over the years.
Characters
Common collocations
- 感激不尽extremely grateful, eternally grateful
- 非常感激very grateful
- 深表感激to express deep gratitude
- 对...感激...to be grateful to/for...
Antonyms
Origin
The character 感 means 'to feel' and 激 means 'to stir up' or 'intense,' so together they literally mean 'to feel stirred' or 'to have intense feelings,' which evolved to specifically mean gratitude.