喝彩 (hè cǎi) means 'to cheer' or 'to acclaim' — a loud, vocal expression of approval, often for a performance or achievement. It is more specific than 欢呼 (huān hū, general joyful shouting) and closely overlaps with 叫好 (jiào hǎo, shouting 'bravo!'), but 喝彩 is the broader term for cheering. Unlike 鼓掌 (gǔ zhǎng, clapping) or 称赞 (chēng zàn, praising verbally), 喝彩 always involves shouting.