Skip to content
What are common Chinese expressions used to convey feelings in daily conversation visualisation

What are common Chinese expressions used to convey feelings in daily conversation

Feeling Alive in Chinese: A Guide to Emotions: What are common Chinese expressions used to convey feelings in daily conversation

Common Chinese expressions used to convey feelings in daily conversation include phrases that express happiness, sadness, surprise, and frustration, among others. For example:

  • 高兴 (gāoxìng) means “happy.”
  • 哀愁 (āichóu) means “sad.”
  • The interjection 哎呀 (āiyā) expresses surprise or discontent.
  • Mood summary expressions like 合着 (hézhe), 敢情 (gǎnqíng), and 闹了半天 (nàole bàntiān) are used to sum up or emphasize feelings in conversation.

These expressions are often used in everyday talk to communicate emotions succinctly and are embedded in the social and cultural context of Chinese communication. Additionally, Chinese speakers may use particles or idiomatic phrases to modulate the emotional tone subtly in discourse. 3, 4, 6

Thus, in daily Chinese conversation, emotions are communicated through a combination of direct emotion words, interjections, idiomatic expressions, and mood particles reflecting a rich cultural emphasis on the regulation and expression of feelings.

References

Open the App About Comprenders