Meaning
欣慰 describes a feeling of deep satisfaction and comfort that comes from seeing positive outcomes, especially when something you care about or worked toward turns out well. It combines a sense of relief with happiness and gratification, often used when parents see their children succeed, teachers see students grow, or when your efforts finally pay off.
Usage
This word is more literary and formal than casual spoken language. It's frequently used to express parental pride, satisfaction with students' or subordinates' achievements, or relief that worries have proven unfounded. Often appears in written Chinese, formal speeches, and reflective contexts. Commonly paired with 感到 (gǎndào, to feel) or 让人 (ràng rén, to make one feel).
Examples
- 01看到儿子考上大学，她感到十分欣慰。, .Seeing her son get into university, she felt very gratified.
- 02令人欣慰的是，这个项目终于成功了。, .What's gratifying is that this project finally succeeded.
Characters
Common collocations
- 感到欣慰to feel gratified
- 令人欣慰gratifying, comforting
- 倍感欣慰to feel doubly gratified
- 深感欣慰to feel deeply gratified
Antonyms
Origin
The character 欣 originally depicted a person delighted by something, while 慰 combines heart (心) with a phonetic component, meaning to comfort or console. Together they express being both happy and comforted by a positive situation.