情愿 (qíng yuàn) — (verb) to be willing, to be ready (to do something, often at a cost); (adverb) would rather, would prefer (used in 情愿…也不… structure)

Definition

情愿 highlights willingness at a personal cost — the speaker accepts sacrifice. 宁愿 is the closer adverbial 'would rather', while 愿意 is plain 'willing to'.

verb
to be willingto be ready (to do something, often at a cost)
adverb
would ratherwould prefer (used in 情愿…也不… structure)

Examples

  • 情愿
    Tā qíng yuàn fàng qì gāo xīn, huí dào jiā xiāng jiāo shū.
    He was willing to give up a high salary and return to his hometown to teach.
  • 情愿
    Wǒ qíng yuàn è sǐ yě bù chī zhè zhǒng bù gān jìng de dōng xī.
    I would rather starve to death than eat this kind of unclean thing.
  • 情愿
    Wèi le huán bǎo, tā qíng yuàn měi tiān qí chē shàng bān.
    For environmental protection, she is willing to bike to work every day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

qíngwillingness

情愿 joins 情 (willingness) and 愿 (wish), both pointing to readiness to accept something or preference between options.

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
xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
qīngqíng
Same sound today

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

Open 情 →

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
xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
yuányuàn
Same sound today

愿 places 心 (heart) below 原, which supplies the sound yuán; the 心 part marks the sense of heart or feeling.

Open 愿 →

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