欢颜 (huān yán) — (literary) happy expression, joyful countenance

Definition

Literary word for a joyful expression on someone's face — 'happy countenance'. Used in writing and poetry, not everyday speech.

noun

(literary) happy expressionjoyful countenance

，欢颜。
Tā suī xīn zhōng nán guò, què qiáng zuò huān yán.
Although he was sad at heart, he forced a happy expression.
，欢颜。
Jiàn dào jiǔ bié de lǎo yǒu, tā liǎn shàng lù chū le jiǔ wéi de huān yán.
Seeing an old friend she hadn't met for a long time, a long-lost joyful expression appeared on her face.
欢颜。
Shī zhōng miáo xiě le bǎi xìng zài fēng shōu hòu de huān yán.
The poem describes the joyful countenances of the people after a bountiful harvest.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

欢 adds joy, and 颜 denotes the face, so the word means a happy expression.

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.

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 顏; 颜 is its simplified writing.

彥頁顏

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

彥

彥yàn顏⁰yán

Same sound today

The traditional form 顏, not the simplified 颜, pairs 彥 as a sound part with 頁, a head, for face or countenance.