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感受 (gǎn shòu) — (verb) to feel, to experience (often through direct involvement); (noun) feeling, experience, impression

Definition

感受 works as both a verb ('to experience') and a noun ('impression, feeling'), often implying direct personal experience. As a noun it's broader than 印象 (which focuses on the mental impression left on you) and more experiential than abstract 情感.

verb
to feelto experience (often through direct involvement)
noun
feelingexperienceimpression

Examples

  • 感受。
    Zhè cì lǚ xíng ràng wǒ gǎn shòu dào le dà zì rán de měi.
    This trip made me experience the beauty of nature.
  • 感受。
    Tā wú fǎ lǐ jiě wǒ de gǎn shòu.
    He couldn't understand my feelings.
  • 感受？
    Nǐ duì zhè cì huó dòng yǒu shén me gǎn shòu?
    What's your impression of this event?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

感gǎnsense
受shòureceive

感 and 受 both describe taking in a sensation, together naming feeling or experience.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
咸
咸xián感gǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

感 pairs 咸, which gives the sound, with 心, the heart, for feeling.

Open 感 →

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

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 5Emotions & Feelings2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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