adjective / noun HSK 5
Traditional 抑鬱
depressed · melancholy · depression
Meaning
抑郁 describes a state of low mood, sadness, or clinical depression. It can refer to temporary feelings of being downcast or to the medical condition of depression. The term combines the ideas of suppression and stagnation to convey emotional heaviness.
Usage
抑郁 is used both in everyday contexts to describe feeling down or gloomy, and in medical/psychological contexts to refer to depression as a mental health condition. The full medical term is often 抑郁症 (yìyùzhèng). It's somewhat formal but widely understood in modern Chinese.
Examples
- 01他最近心情很抑郁，什么都不想做。, .He's been feeling very depressed lately and doesn't want to do anything.
- 02如果长期抑郁，应该去看心理医生。, .If you're depressed for a long time, you should see a psychologist.
Characters
Common collocations
- 抑郁症depression (clinical)
- 感到抑郁to feel depressed
- 抑郁情绪depressed mood
- 心情抑郁mood is depressed
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to suppression and stagnation. 抑 originally depicted restraining with hands, while 郁 combines elements suggesting dense vegetation or blockage, metaphorically representing pent-up emotions.