痛痛快快 (tòng tong kuài kuài) — to one's heart's content; thoroughly and enjoyably

Definition

Adverbial reduplication form: do something fully and enjoyably, without holding back. Functions as an adverb before the verb (or after 得/地) — e.g. 痛痛快快地玩, 喝得痛痛快快.

bound form
to one's heart's contentthoroughly and enjoyably

Examples

  • 痛痛快快。
    Zhōu mò wǒ men tòng tong kuài kuài dì wán le yì zhěng tiān.
    We played to our heart's content all weekend.
  • ，痛痛快快。
    Nán dé fàng jià, wǒ yào tòng tong kuài kuài dì chī yí dùn huǒ guō.
    It's a rare holiday, I want to eat hotpot to my heart's content.
  • 痛痛快快，。
    Tā hē dé tòng tong kuài kuài, bǎ fán nǎo quán wàng le.
    He drank to his heart's content and forgot all his worries.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

痛tòngthoroughly
痛tòngthoroughly
快kuàipleasurable
快kuàipleasurable

痛 and 快 make 痛快, satisfying pleasure; the whole 痛痛快快 strengthens it to 'to one's heart's content'.

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài快kuài
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

快 pairs the left part 忄 (full form 心, the heart) with the right part 夬, which gives the sound.

Open 快 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài快kuài
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

快 pairs the left part 忄 (full form 心, the heart) with the right part 夬, which gives the sound.

Open 快 →

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