Definition
甘愿 is a modal auxiliary verb meaning 'to be willing to' — but with a strong nuance of willingly and gladly accepting something, even if it's difficult or undesirable. It carries emotional weight: you 甘愿 do something because you genuinely accept it as right or good, not just because you have no choice. It's often used in positive self-sacrifice contexts ('I'd rather...') or in negative constructions expressing reluctance ('not willing to').
aux.
to be willing to (emphasizing genuine acceptance, even of hardship)
Examples
- ，甘愿。Wèile jiārén, tā gān yuàn fàngqì zìjǐ de mèngxiǎng.For his family, he was willing to give up his own dreams.
- 。Shéi dōu bú gān yuàn zài zhè zhǒng dìfang shēnghuó xiàqù.No one is willing to live in a place like this.
- 甘愿。Wǒ gān yuàn chéngdān zhège zérèn.I am willing to take on this responsibility.
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