Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Emotion and Personality Words in Chinese
情绪、性格与态度词汇 qíngxù, xìnggé yǔ tàidù cíhuì
Before we get into the vocab, here’s a story from my years teaching Chinese: students have asked me, more than once, how to say “I am so proud of you” in Chinese. Honestly, in my whole life I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard anyone say that sentence out loud. Sure, you could translate it directly as 我为你感到骄傲, but it always comes out sounding just a little stiff and unnatural. In that same situation, what a Chinese speaker would actually say is much simpler: 你做得很好 (“you did really well”).
How you’re feeling
Emotion Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不满 | bùmǎn | Dissatisfied; discontented | 불만 | 不満 |
| 吃惊 | chījīng | Surprised; shocked | 놀란 | 驚く |
| 得意 | déyì | Proud of oneself; pleased with oneself | 득의양양한 | 得意 |
| 烦 | fán | Annoyed; bothered | 짜증나는 | 煩わしい |
| 感动 | gǎndòng | Moved; touched | 감동한 | 感動 |
| 害羞 | hàixiū | Shy; embarrassed | 부끄러운 | 恥ずかしい |
| 后悔 | hòuhuǐ | Regret | 후회 | 後悔 |
| 激动 | jīdòng | Excited; emotional | 격동된 | 興奮した |
| 紧张 | jǐnzhāng | Nervous; tense | 긴장한 | 緊張 |
| 可惜 | kěxī | What a pity; unfortunately | 아쉬운 | 残念 |
| 难受 | nánshòu | Uncomfortable; upset | 괴로운 | つらい |
| 轻松 | qīngsōng | Relaxed; easy | 편안한 | 気楽 |
| 伤心 | shāngxīn | Sad; heartbroken | 슬픈 | 悲しい |
| 失望 | shīwàng | Disappointed | 실망한 | 失望 |
| 讨厌 | tǎoyàn | Dislike; annoying | 싫어하는 | 嫌い |
| 无聊 | wúliáo | Boring; bored | 지루한 | 退屈 |
| 羡慕 | xiànmù | Envy; admire | 부러운 | 羨ましい |
| 兴奋 | xīngfèn | Excited | 흥분한 | 興奮 |
| 幸福 | xìngfú | Happy; happiness | 행복한 | 幸福 |
激动 vs 兴奋
Both can mean “excited,” but 激动 (jīdòng) leans toward being emotionally stirred up — it can come from excitement, anger, or being moved, and often implies losing your composure a little. 兴奋 (xīngfèn) is more straightforwardly positive, closer to “thrilled.”
Putting it all together
Examples
他知道自己做錯了，很後悔他知道自己做错了，很后悔 He knows he made a mistake, and he really regrets it.
她考試考得很好，看起來很得意她考试考得很好，看起来很得意 She did well on the test, and she looks pretty pleased with herself.
What kind of person
Personality and Attitude Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 笨 | bèn | Stupid; foolish | 바보 같은 | 愚か |
| 诚实 | chéngshí | Honest | 정직한 | 誠実 |
| 粗心 | cūxīn | Careless | 부주의한 | 不注意 |
| 活泼 | huópō | Lively; energetic | 활발한 | 活発 |
| 积极 | jījí | Positive; proactive | 적극적인 | 積極的 |
| 骄傲 | jiāo’ào | Proud; arrogant | 거만한 | 誇り高い |
| 懒 | lǎn | Lazy | 게으른 | 怠け者 |
| 浪漫 | làngmàn | Romantic | 낭만적인 | ロマンチック |
| 冷静 | lěngjìng | Calm | 침착한 | 冷静 |
| 辛苦 | xīnkǔ | Hard; tiring; to work hard | 고생하는 | 大変 |
| 严格 | yángé | Strict | 엄격한 | 厳格 |
| 勇敢 | yǒnggǎn | Brave; courageous | 용감한 | 勇敢 |
| 幽默 | yōumò | Humorous; funny | 유머러스한 | ユーモア |
骄傲 can go either way
骄傲 (jiāo’ào) can be a compliment (“proud,” in a good sense — proud of your country, proud of your kid) or an insult (“arrogant,” looking down on others). Which one it means depends entirely on context.
Putting it all together
Examples
我朋友個性很活潑，也很幽默我朋友个性很活泼，也很幽默 My friend has a lively personality, and she’s also really funny.
我老闆對工作的要求很嚴格我老板对工作的要求很严格 My boss is very strict about work standards.
Test yourself
Vocabulary Quiz
