Meaning
高兴 is one of the most fundamental words for expressing happiness or pleasure in Mandarin. It describes a positive emotional state ranging from mild pleasure to genuine joy. The word literally combines '高' (high) with '兴' (興, excitement/interest), conveying the sense of elevated spirits.
Usage
高兴 is extremely common in everyday conversation and appropriate in all registers from casual to formal. It can function as a stative verb ('I am happy') or as an adjective modifying nouns. Chinese speakers often use it in the construction '很高兴' (very happy) when introducing themselves or expressing pleasure at meeting someone. It's also frequently used with 为 (wèi) to express happiness 'for' someone or something.
Examples
- 01我很高兴认识你。.I'm very happy to meet you.
- 02听到这个好消息，她非常高兴。, .She was very happy to hear this good news.
Characters
Common collocations
- 很高兴very happy
- 高兴地happily (adverb)
- 为...高兴...to be happy for...
- 不高兴unhappy, displeased
Antonyms
Origin
The combination of 高 (high) and 兴 (excitement) creates a metaphorical expression for elevated spirits or mood. This reflects a common cross-linguistic metaphor where positive emotions are conceptualized as being 'up' or 'high'.