欢喜 (huān xǐ) — (v.) to like, to be fond of; (v.) to be happy,… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

欢喜 (huānxǐ) is a written, literary 'to rejoice / to delight in' — more formal and emotive than everyday 喜欢, and often used as a state ('be overjoyed') rather than for simple liking.

verb

(v.) to liketo be fond of(v.) to be happyto be delighted

Examples

欢喜，。
Tā fēi cháng huān xǐ zhè ge lǐ wù, yì zhí shě bu de yòng.
He really likes this gift and can't bear to use it.
，欢喜。
Kàn dào yì jiā rén tuán jù, tā xīn lǐ huān xǐ jí le.
Seeing the family reunited, he was extremely happy.
欢喜。
Zhè wèi zuò jiā de xīn zuò ràng dú zhě huān xǐ bù yǐ.
This writer's new work makes readers endlessly delighted.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

喜xǐdelight

欢 and 喜 both express joy, so together they mean to be delighted or fond of.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歡; 欢 is its simplified writing.

雚欠歡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

雚

雚guàn歡huān

Same sound today

The traditional form 歡 uses 雚 for the sound and 欠 for the meaning; the simplified 欢 is a later shorthand, so its parts do not carry that history.

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

壴口喜

壴壴zhùdrum
口口kǒumouth

喜 combines 壴, a drum, with 口, a mouth.

Appears in

Emotions & Feelings

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