TongTong
Sign in

意气风发 (yì qì fēng fā) — high-spirited and vigorous; full of energy and determination

Definition

An idiom meaning bursting with drive and ambition — used to praise someone's confident, vigorous energy, often after success or in facing a new challenge. Written/formal in tone; appears in speeches, news, and reports rather than casual chat.

idiom
high-spirited and vigorousfull of energy and determination

Examples

  • 意气风发，。
    Nián qīng rén yì qì fēng fā, duì wèi lái chōng mǎn xī wàng.
    Young people are high-spirited and full of hope for the future.
  • 意气风发，。
    Tā zhàn zài tái shàng yì qì fēng fā dì yǎn jiǎng, yíng dé le zhèn zhèn zhǎng shēng.
    He gave a vigorous speech on stage, winning rounds of applause.
  • 意气风发，。
    Nà ge tuán duì yì qì fēng fā, zhǔn bèi yíng jiē xīn de tiǎo zhàn.
    That team is full of spirit, ready to take on new challenges.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

意气spirits
意yìmind气qìspirit
联合Coordinate
风发vigorous like wind
风fēngwind发fāissue
偏正Modifier + head

The 意气 'spirits' and 风发 'issue like wind' give high-spirited vigor.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →
Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsIdioms & Set Phrases

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