How to say “happy” in Chinese
🔊 Tap to hear it
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
Two high flat first tones, literally 'open heart'. 开心 is the everyday 'happy / having a good time'; 高兴 (gāoxìng) is 'glad' about something specific; 快乐 (kuàilè) is the 'happy' in greetings like 生日快乐.
In a sentence
Jiàndào nǐ wǒ hěn kāixīn.
I'm happy to see you.
Hear it and say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio and scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "happy" in Chinese?+
"happy" in Mandarin Chinese is 开心, pronounced kāixīn. Two high flat first tones, literally 'open heart'. 开心 is the everyday 'happy / having a good time'; 高兴 (gāoxìng) is 'glad' about something specific; 快乐 (kuàilè) is the 'happy' in greetings like 生日快乐.
What does 开心 mean literally?+
开心 breaks down as 开 (kāi) = open, 心 (xīn) = heart. Together it means "happy".
How do I get the tones right in kāixīn?+
Two high flat first tones, literally 'open heart'. 开心 is the everyday 'happy / having a good time'; 高兴 (gāoxìng) is 'glad' about something specific; 快乐 (kuàilè) is the 'happy' in greetings like 生日快乐.
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
On iPhone, Android and the web
ToneDeck is on the App Store. The trainer works right now.
Download ToneDeck for iPhone or Android today. One account unlocks Pro on both the app and the web. Prefer the browser? The full tone trainer runs at tonedeck.app right now, no install, free to start.
Sign up free and start trainingSee all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.