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开心 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
开心kāixīnto feel happyHSK 3, v, rank #545, Medium
开心kāixīnto rejoiceHSK 3, v, rank #545, Medium
开心kāixīnto have a great timeHSK 3, v, rank #545, Medium
开心kāixīnto make fun of sbHSK 3, v, rank #545, Medium
kāixīn(kai1xin1) T1
  1. 1to feel happy
  2. 2to rejoice
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March 24, 2026
开心(開心)kāixīn(kai1xin1)

开心 (kāi xīn) means 'to feel happy' or 'to rejoice.' It is commonly used to express joy or satisfaction, often in informal settings. This word can also imply having a great time, making it suitable for various contexts, from personal happiness to social enjoyment.

Frequency#545DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing happiness is often communal; for example, during festivals or family gatherings, sharing moments of 开心 is seen as a vital part of the celebration. It reflects the importance of community in personal joy.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big, bright smile (开心) that opens wide like a door (开), letting in the warm sunshine of happiness (心). The character 开 represents 'open' and 心 signifies 'heart,' together suggesting that when your heart is open, you feel joy.

Meanings of 开心

kāixīn(kai1xin1)
1to feel happy
2to rejoice
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 开心

开心Simplified
開心Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#545Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 开心

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Podcast: 开心

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AI Study Notes for 开心

Quick Contrast

快乐 (kuàilè) vs 开心 (kāixīn): 选择开心 (kāixīn) 更强调一种轻松、愉快的情绪，而快乐 (kuàilè) 更为正式，通常指一种持久的幸福感。

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a big, bright smile (开心) that opens wide like a door (开), letting in the warm sunshine of happiness (心). The character 开 represents 'open' and 心 signifies 'heart,' together suggesting that when your heart is open, you feel joy.

Usage Notes

Be aware that 开心 is more informal and is typically used in casual conversations. Some learners mistakenly use it in overly formal contexts; in such cases, consider using 愉快 (yú kuài) instead. The phrase '开心吗?' is a common way to ask someone if they are happy.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 4 word, 开心 connects well with other words expressing emotions, such as 高兴 (gāo xìng) meaning 'happy' or 'glad.' Focus on practicing its usage in sentences to convey varying degrees of happiness.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing happiness is often communal; for example, during festivals or family gatherings, sharing moments of 开心 is seen as a vital part of the celebration. It reflects the importance of community in personal joy.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 开心 with 伤心 (shāng xīn), which means 'sad.' For example, saying '我今天很伤心' instead of '我今天很开心' would be a mistake if intending to express happiness.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 开心

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Component Characters

开kāito open
HSK 14 strokes廾
View full entry
心xīnheart
HSK 44 strokes心
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Write 开心

开
心

Practice writing 开心 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 开心

开心 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

孩子们又唱又跳，非常____。

The children were singing and dancing, very happy.

Example Sentences for 开心 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他在丁格尔湾与海豚交流的时候特别开心。

tā zài dīng gé ěr wān yǔ hǎi tún jiāo liú de shí hòu tè bié kāi xīn。

He was so happy communing with the dolphin in Dingle Bay.
2
她奶奶有逗人开心的本事。

tā nǎi nǎi yǒu dòu rén kāi xīn de běn shì。

Her grandmother had the gift of making people happy.
3
我可能会买一件送给朋友当生日礼物，逗他开心。

wǒ kě néng huì mǎi yī jiàn sòng gěi péng yǒu dāng shēng rì lǐ wù， ， dòu tā kāi。

I might buy one for a friend's birthday as a giggle.
4
只有每天骑车或开车我才会开心。

zhī yǒu měi tiān qí chē huò kāi chē wǒ cái huì kāi xīn。

I'm not happy unless I ride or drive every day.
5
“这是开心的一天，”她说，将那事抛到了脑后。

“ “ zhè shì kāi xīn de yī，” tiān ，”， tā shuō ， jiāng nà shì pāo dào。

"It's been a lovely day," she said, dismissing the episode.
6
“我来就是让他们开心的，”他豪爽地说。

“ “ wǒ lái jiù shì ràng tā mén kāi xīn，” de ，” tā háo shuǎng。

"I'm here to make them feel good," he says expansively.
7
我知道我们能做成这件事并且会很开心。

wǒ zhī dào wǒ mén néng zuò chéng zhè jiàn shì bìng qiě huì hěn kāi xīn。

I knew we could make a go of it and be happy.
8
结识形形色色的人让他很开心。

jié shí xíng xíng sè sè de rén ràng tā hěn kāi xīn。

He was having a grand time meeting new sorts of people.
9
青少年在和自己小圈子里的好友呆在一起时最为开心。

qīng shǎo nián zài hé zì jǐ xiǎo quān zǐ lǐ de hǎo yǒu dāi zài yī qǐ shí zuì wéi kāi xīn。

Young adolescents are happiest with small groups of close friends.
10
克里斯回过头，开心地笑了。

kè lǐ sī huí guò tóu， ， kāi xīn dì xiào。

Chris threw back his head and laughed merrily.

Cultural Notes for 开心

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, expressing happiness is often communal; for example, during festivals or family gatherings, sharing moments of 开心 is seen as a vital part of the celebration. It reflects the importance of community in personal joy.

Frequently Asked Questions about 开心

It's better to avoid using 开心 in formal contexts; stick to words like 愉快 instead.