One of the most important parts of learning a new language is learning to express your feelings. If your native language is English then you will find that there are tons of words you can use to express your emotions. Many of these may translate fairly well if you’re trying to learn some other Indo-European language. However, the situation is entirely different when you’re trying to learn Chinese because a lot of words simply won’t translate. It’s also the same for Chinese words that express emotions. The best place to start is to get some Common Chinese words for common emotions and learn them. You can grow more sophisticated from there.
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Chinese Words for Common Positive Emotions
| Word in Chinese | Word in Pinyin | Word in English |
| 畅快 | chànɡ kuài | Carefree |
| 放心 | fànɡ xīn | never mind |
| 感动 | ɡǎn dònɡ | Moved |
| 高兴 | ɡāo xìnɡ | happy/exciting |
| 哈哈 | hā hā | Haha |
| 激动 | jī dònɡ | Excited |
| 开心 | kāi xīn | Honeyful |
| 快乐 | kuài lè | Happy |
| 冷静 | lěnɡ jìnɡ | Cool |
| 满意 | mǎn yì | Satisfied |
| 平和 | pínɡ hé | Mild |
| 轻松 | qīnɡ sōnɡ | Relaxed |
| 热情 | rè qínɡ | passion/enthusiasm |
| 舒服 | shū fu | Comfortable |
| 希望 | xī wànɡ | Hope |
| 喜欢 | xǐ huɑn | Like |
| 喜悦 | xǐ yuè | Joy |
| 幸福 | xìnɡ fú | Happy |
| 愉快 | yú kuài | Pleasant |
| 愿意 | yuàn yì | willing to do |
Chinese Phrases for Common Positive Emotions
| Phrase in Chinese | Phrase in Pinyin | Phrase for English |
| 保持冷静 | bǎo chí lěnɡ jìnɡ | keep calm |
| 对音乐感兴趣 | duì yīn yuè ɡǎn xìnɡ qù | be interested in music |
| 非常激动 | fēi chánɡ jī dònɡ | very excited |
| 非常快乐 | fēi chánɡ kuài lè | very joyful |
| 非常兴奋 | fēi chánɡ xīnɡ fèn | very excited |
| 感到高兴 | ɡǎn dào ɡāo xìnɡ | be happy |
| 共同爱好 | ɡònɡ tónɡ ài hào | common interests |
| 合作愉快 | hé zuò yú kuài | pleasant cooperation |
| 快乐极了 | kuài lè jí le | extremely happy |
| 冷静一下 | lěnɡ jìnɡ yí xià | calm down |
| 让人感动 | rànɡ rén ɡǎn dònɡ | Moving |
| 让人开心 | rànɡ rén kāi xīn | make someone feel happy |
| 生日快乐 | shēnɡ rì kuài lè | happy birthday |
| 太好了 | tài hǎo le | It’s wonderful |
| 太谢谢你了 | tài xiè xiè nǐ le | thank you very much |
| 态度很好 | tài dù hěn hǎo | with a good attitude |
| 玩得开心 | wán de kāi xīn | have fun |
| 喜悦的表情 | xǐ yuè de biǎo qínɡ | joy expression |
| 心情畅快 | xīn qínɡ chànɡ kuài | carefree mood |
| 心态平和 | xīn tài pínɡ hé | mind of peace |
| 有意思 | yǒu yì si | it’s very interesting |
| 真舒服 | zhēn shū fu | really comfortable |
Chinese Words for Common Negative Emotions
| Word in Chinese | Word in Pinyin | Word in English |
| 悲观 | bēi ɡuān | pessimistic |
| 不好 | bù hǎo | not good |
| 沉默 | chén mò | silent |
| 担心 | dān xīn | be worry about |
| 害怕 | hài pà | afraid/frightened |
| 怀疑 | huái yí | suspicious |
| 简单 | jiǎn dān | simple |
| 可怜 | kě lián | pitiful |
| 可惜 | kě xī | feel sorry for |
| 恐怕 | kǒnɡ pà | perhaps |
| 哭 | kū | cry |
| 累 | lèi | tired |
| 马虎 | mǎ hu | careless |
| 难 | nán | hard/difficult |
| 难过 | nán ɡuò | sad |
| 批评 | pī pínɡ | criticism |
| 生气 | shēnɡ qì | angry |
| 头疼 | tóu ténɡ | headache |
| 忘记 | wànɡ jì | forget |
| 抑郁 | yì yù | depressed |
| 着急 | zháo jí | anxious |
Chinese Phrases for Common Negative Emotions
| Phrase in Chinese | Phrase in Pinyin | Phrase in English |
| 不开心 | bù kāi xīn | unhappy |
| 对不起 | duì bù qǐ | feel sorry for |
| 别着急 | bié zháo jí | don’t worry |
| 很头疼 | hěn tóu ténɡ | have a terrible headache |
| 有点儿难过 | yóu dián ér nán ɡuò | feel a little sad |
| 越来越疼 | yuè lái yuè ténɡ | more and more painful |
| 不放心 | bú fànɡ xīn | feel worried about |
| 不愿意 | bú yuàn yì | unwilling to do |
| 对什么都没兴趣 | duì shén me dōu méi xìnɡ qù | have interest in nothing |
| 很担心 | hěn dān xīn | feel very worried |
| 太难过了 | tài nán ɡuò le | too sad |
| 不喜欢 | bù xǐ huɑn | dislike |
| 不满意 | bù mǎn yì | unsatisfied |
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About the Author:
Cathy Baylis is an assignment help freelance content writer specializing in personal growth, career development, leadership, and education. Writing is not only her hobby but profession at the same time.