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欣喜 (xīn xǐ) — joyful, delighted (formal/literary)

Definition

A formal/literary word meaning 'delighted, overjoyed,' stronger than the everyday 快乐 and 开心. The shared 喜 character links it to 惊喜 (delighted AND surprised) and 喜悦 (joyful).

adjective
joyfuldelighted (formal/literary)

Examples

  • ，欣喜。
    Shōu dào lù qǔ tōng zhī shū, tā bù jīn xīn xǐ wàn fēn.
    Upon receiving the admission letter, she couldn't help feeling extremely delighted.
  • 欣喜。
    Dà jiā duì tā qǔ dé de chéng jì biǎo shì xīn xǐ.
    Everyone expressed joy at the achievements he had made.
  • 欣喜。
    Hái zi men xīn xǐ dì wàng zhe mǎn tiān de yān huā.
    The children looked joyfully at the fireworks filling the sky.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

欣xīnjoyful
喜xǐhappy

'欣' and '喜' both express joy, reinforcing delight.

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
欠欠qiàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
斤
斤jīn欣
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

欣 combines 斤, which hints at the sound, with 欠, which carries the meaning.

Open 欣 →

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

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

Open 喜 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Emotions & Feelings

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.