高興 / 高兴
gāoxìng
The English word happy can be translated into Chinese as 高興 / 高兴 (gāoxìng). Wiktionary also lists 愉快 (yúkuài) and 快樂 / 快乐 (kuàilè).
Meaning: contented, joyous (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 高興 / 高兴 | gāoxìng |
| 愉快 | yúkuài |
| 快樂 / 快乐 | kuàilè |
| 幸福 | xìngfú |
Depending on the context, different Chinese words describe various shades of happiness, ranging from temporary pleasure to profound life satisfaction.
Which one should you use?
高興 / 高兴 is used for temporary, situational pleasure or being pleased about a specific event. 幸福 describes a deep, profound sense of happiness or well-being, often related to family, marriage or life satisfaction. 愉快 is a more formal and mild term used to describe a pleasant experience or a pleasant mood. 开心 is a common way to say happy in Chinese.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using these adjectives to describe a state, you should use an adverb like 很 (hěn) before them instead of the verb 'to be' (是).
How do you pronounce it?
gāoxìng
When do people say it?
If you want to say 'I wish you happiness', you can use the phrase 祝你快乐 (zhù nǐ kuài lè).
Did you know?
- The character 幸 in 幸福 originally depicted a pair of handcuffs, symbolizing the 'luck' or 'fortune' of surviving a trial or escaping danger.
- The word 开心 literally means 'open heart'. It suggests that happiness is an act of opening one's inner self to the world.
- When using the phrase 很 / 很 (hěn) before an adjective like 高兴 / 高兴, the word 'very' is often grammatically required even if you do not actually mean the person is 'very' happy.
Examples in context
- 她让我幸福。She makes me happy.This sentence shows how to use 幸福 to describe someone making another person happy.Tatoeba #2029465 by ydcok, translation #314447 by CK
- 他看上去很幸福。He looks happy.This sentence demonstrates using 幸福 to describe how someone looks.Tatoeba #8715867 by crescat, translation #1460417 by piksea
- 湯姆希望你幸福。Tom hopes you're happy.This sentence is an example of wishing happiness upon someone using 幸福.Tatoeba #10040426 by verdastelo9604, translation #1177605 by CK
- 我希望你在这特殊的日子里永远都开心。I hope you stay happy on this special day forever.
- 今天天气真好，我好高兴！The weather is so nice today, and I am really happy!
- 去公园散步让我感到快活。Taking a walk in the park makes me feel happy and carefree.
- 看到他们幸福的笑容，我充满了喜悦。Seeing their happy smiles fills me with joy and delight.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
