情绪化 (qíng xù huà) — emotional; to get emotional

Definition

Used as a verb/adjective meaning 'to get emotional' or 'emotional' — describes someone whose feelings flare up quickly and irrationally, often over small things. Pairs with 容易 to mean 'prone to getting emotional' rather than simply having feelings.

emotionalto get emotional

Examples

  • 情绪化
    Tā zhè ge rén hěn qíng xù huà, dòng bu dòng jiù shēng qì.
    He is very emotional and gets angry easily.
  • 情绪化
    Yù dào zhè zhǒng shì, dà jiā dōu huì biàn de qíng xù huà.
    When encountering this kind of thing, everyone becomes emotional.
  • 情绪化
    Tā zuì jìn qíng xù hěn bù wěn dìng, róng yì qíng xù huà.
    She has been emotionally unstable recently and easily gets emotional.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

情绪emotion
qíngfeelingmood
联合Coordinate
huàbecome; make

情绪 gives emotion or mood, and 化 adds the sense of becoming or making that state.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 緒; 绪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full as
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 緒 has 糹 (silk) and 者; 者 gives the sound. The simplified 绪 is not the form described here.

Open 绪 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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