adjective / verb HSK 2
Traditional 開心
happy · joyful · delighted · to feel happy
Meaning
开心 describes a state of happiness, joy, or pleasure. It literally means 'open heart' and conveys a sense of lightheartedness and contentment. This is one of the most common everyday words for expressing happiness in Mandarin.
Usage
Native speakers use 开心 frequently in casual conversation to describe feeling happy or pleased about something. It's warmer and more colloquial than 高兴 (gāo xìng), though both are common. Often appears in phrases like 很开心 (very happy) or as a verb meaning 'to make someone happy' as in 让我很开心 (made me very happy).
Examples
- 01今天我很开心，因为见到了老朋友。, .I'm very happy today because I saw an old friend.
- 02祝你生日快乐，天天开心！, !Happy birthday! May you be happy every day!
Characters
Common collocations
- 很开心very happy
- 开开心心happily, cheerfully
- 让人开心to make people happy
- 玩得很开心to have a lot of fun
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 开 (to open) and 心 (heart), literally meaning 'open heart,' suggesting an unburdened, joyful emotional state where one's heart is open and free.