Chinese phrases
How to say happy in Chinese
Happy in Chinese is 开心 (kāi xīn) for how you feel right now. 快乐 (kuài lè) goes in wishes such as 生日快乐, “happy birthday.”
开心
happy; glad
Ways to say happy
开心
Everydayhappy; glad
The everyday word for how you feel: 我今天很开心, “I’m happy today.”
高兴
Everydayglad; pleased
Glad about something that happened. A little more neutral than 开心, and part of set phrases such as 很高兴认识你, “nice to meet you.”
快乐
Everydayhappy (in wishes)
In wishes, cards and songs: 生日快乐, 新年快乐. To talk about your day, people say 开心.
幸福
Everydayhappy (with your life)
Deep, lasting happiness: a good marriage, a warm family, a life you like. 我很幸福 is about your life, not your day.
心情很好
Everydayin a good mood
A good mood, often with no clear reason: good weather, a quiet morning, a free afternoon.
太开心了
With friendsso happy!
When good news makes you excited. In chats, young people also write 开心死了, literally “happy to death.”
Common mistakes
Saying 我很快乐 about your day
It is correct, but in everyday talk it sounds like a song or a diary. For “I’m happy today,” say 我今天很开心.
Leaving out 很
我开心 on its own sounds unfinished, as if a “but” comes next. Say 我很开心. Here 很 is not a strong “very.”
Happy as in “happy with it”
In English, “I’m happy with it” means satisfied. Chinese uses 满意 for that: 我很满意. 我很开心 means you feel joy.
高兴 in a wish
Set wishes use 快乐: 生日快乐, never 生日高兴. For a general wish, people also say 天天开心, “be happy every day.”
Good news
你今天怎么这么开心？
Qiqi: Why are you so happy today?
我找到工作了！
Leon: I found a job!
太好了！真为你高兴。
Qiqi: That’s great! I’m really happy for you.
