Meaning
羡慕 describes the feeling of admiring someone else's advantages, qualities, or circumstances, often wishing you had them yourself. It carries a generally positive connotation, expressing appreciation rather than resentment, though it can sometimes shade into mild jealousy depending on context.
Usage
Native speakers use 羡慕 to express admiration for someone's achievements, lifestyle, relationships, or possessions. It's commonly used in both spoken and written language. The phrase 真羡慕你 (I really envy you) is a frequent expression when someone shares good news. Unlike jealousy (嫉妒), 羡慕 is generally considered a warmer, more acceptable emotion in Chinese culture.
Examples
- 01我真羡慕你能说一口流利的中文。.I really admire that you can speak fluent Chinese.
- 02看到他们幸福的家庭，我非常羡慕。, .Seeing their happy family, I'm very envious.
Characters
Common collocations
- 羡慕嫉妒恨to envy, be jealous, and resent (internet slang)
- 令人羡慕enviable, to make others envious
- 十分羡慕very envious
- 真羡慕really envy
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to admiration and longing. 羡 originally depicted looking at sheep (羊) with admiration, while 慕 contains the heart radical (心), indicating an emotional longing or admiration.