常情 (cháng qíng) — common sense (in human relationships); what is normal and reasonable

Definition

常情 refers to what feels normal and reasonable in human relationships — 'common sense' of how people treat each other, often used in the set phrase 人之常情 ('only human').

noun
common sense (in human relationships)what is normal and reasonable

Examples

  • ，常情。
    Péng you zhī jiān hù xiāng bāng zhù, zhè shì cháng qíng.
    Friends helping each other — that's just common sense.
  • ，。
    Guò nián huí jiā kàn fù mǔ, zhè shì rén zhī cháng qíng.
    Going home to see your parents for the New Year — that's human nature.
  • ，。
    Tā shēng qì yě shì rén zhī cháng qíng, nǐ bié guài tā.
    His anger is also only natural — don't blame him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

常chángcommon; usual
情qíngsituation; feeling

常 means common or usual and 情 means situation or feeling: what is normal and reasonable.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.