歡喜 / 欢喜
huānxǐ
The English word "joy" can be translated into Chinese in several ways, with 歡喜 / 欢喜 (huānxǐ) being the default form. Wiktionary also lists 歡樂 / 欢乐 (huānlè) and 喜悅 / 喜悦 (xǐyuè).
Meaning: feeling of happiness (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 歡喜 / 欢喜 | huānxǐ |
| 歡樂 / 欢乐 | huānlè |
| 喜悅 / 喜悦 | xǐyuè |
| 喜樂 / 喜乐 | xǐlè |
The terms used for joy in Chinese vary depending on whether you are describing a profound internal feeling, a religious experience or a sense of excitement during activities.
What does it mean word for word?
The character 喜 (xǐ) is a common component in many Chinese words related to joy, and it means "happiness" or "to be glad".
Which one should you use?
While the forms are related, they carry different nuances: 喜悅 / 喜悦 refers to a more profound, internal and formal sense of delight. 喜樂 / 喜乐 is frequently used in religious contexts, such as Christian hymns, to describe spiritual joy. In informal settings, you might express joy through phrases like Hǎo wánr (好玩儿) to describe something being fun or Tài kāixīn le (太开心了) to express being so happy.
How do you pronounce it?
huānxǐ
Did you know?
- The character 喜 originally depicted a drum being beaten, suggesting that joy was historically associated with loud music and public celebration.
- The character 喜 is often doubled as 囍 (shuāngxǐ) on wedding decorations to represent double joy for the newlyweds.
- The phrase 喜上眉梢 describes joy so intense that it literally 'reaches the eyebrows', illustrating how Chinese expresses emotion through specific body parts.
Examples in context
- 我很高兴能够跟大家分享我的经验。(Wǒ hěn gāoxìng nénggòu gēn dàjiā fēnxiǎng wǒ de jīngyàn.)I'm very happy to be able to share my experiences with everyone.
- 我的生日派对真好玩儿！(Wǒ de shēngrì pàiduì zhēn hǎo wánr!)My birthday party was so much fun!
- 看到你的礼物，我太开心了！(Kàn dào nǐ de lǐwù, wǒ tài kāixīn le!)I'm so happy when I see your gift!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “joy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
