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皆大欢喜 (jiē dà huān xǐ) — everyone is happy and satisfied; a happy outcome for all

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning a result where everyone is happy and no one is left out. Refers to an outcome or decision that satisfies all parties involved.

phrase
everyone is happy and satisfieda happy outcome for all

Examples

  • 皆大欢喜，。
    Zhè ge fāng àn ràng gè fāng dōu jiē dà huān xǐ, méi yǒu rén fǎn duì.
    This plan made everyone happy, and no one objected.
  • ，皆大欢喜。
    Hūn lǐ shàng dà jiā yì qǐ huān xiào, zhēn shì jiē dà huān xǐ.
    Everyone laughed together at the wedding—truly a joyous occasion for all.
  • 《皆大欢喜》。
    Shā shì bǐ yà de xǐ jù 《jiē dà huān xǐ》 shēn shòu guān zhòng xǐ ài.
    Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It is deeply loved by audiences.

Origin

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
虍虍hū
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ皆jiē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early form 皆 used 虍 and 口 to show meaning and 几 to show sound.

Open 皆 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
欠欠qiàn
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.

Open 欢 →

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 & FeelingsIdioms & Set Phrases

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