Meaning
气馁 describes the feeling of losing confidence or courage when facing difficulties or setbacks. It conveys a sense of deflation or demoralization, often used when someone feels defeated before even trying or after repeated failures.
Usage
Commonly used in encouraging contexts, often negated (不气馁, 别气馁) to urge someone not to give up. It's more formal than casual speech and frequently appears in written Chinese, motivational contexts, and formal encouragement. Often collocates with words like 遇到困难 (encountering difficulties) or 失败 (failure).
Examples
- 01虽然考试没考好，但我不会气馁，我会继续努力。, , .Although I didn't do well on the exam, I won't lose heart; I will continue to work hard.
- 02遇到困难时千万别气馁，要相信自己一定能克服。, .When you encounter difficulties, never get discouraged; believe that you can definitely overcome them.
Characters
Common collocations
- 不气馁don't lose heart
- 感到气馁to feel discouraged
- 从不气馁never get discouraged
Antonyms
Origin
Originally 馁 meant 'hungry' or 'starved', and when combined with 气 (spirit/energy), the compound suggests one's spirit being 'starved' or depleted, leading to the modern meaning of being discouraged or disheartened.