有意思 (yǒu yì si) — interesting, fun | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Casual everyday phrase for 'interesting / fun'. 好玩儿 focuses on play-like fun; 有趣 is more literary and a stronger compliment. Negate as 没意思.

phrase

interestingfun

Examples

有意思。
Zhè ge yóu xì hěn yǒu yì si.
This game is very interesting.
有意思。
Kàn yǒu yì si de shū ràng wǒ hěn kāi xīn.
Reading interesting books makes me very happy.
有意思？
Nǐ jué de zhè ge dòng huà yǒu yì si ma?
Do you think this cartoon is fun?

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave

意思meaning/interest

意yìmeaning思sīthought

联合Side by side

“有” (have) with “意” (meaning) and “思” (thought) gives having meaning or interest, hence interesting.

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

肉肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

又

又yòu有yǒu

Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

心心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

囟

囟xìn思sī

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 思, 心 (heart) points to thinking, while the top part is a changed form of 囟, which supplied the sound.

Open 思 →