ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

joyful / merry

huān
6 strokes · 又 (hand) + 欠 (to yawn/open mouth) · HSK 1

Where 欢 comes from

欢 (traditional 歡) has 欠 on the right — a person with an open mouth, exhaling or singing. The whole character is about open-mouthed delight: joy, merriment. The simplified form swaps in 又 (a hand) on the left for an easy shape.

欢 in Chinese culture

欢 means joyful, and joins 喜 to make 喜欢 (to like) — one of the first verbs every learner needs: 我喜欢… (I like…). It also gives 欢迎 (huānyíng, 'welcome' — 'joy-meet', the sign on every shop door), 欢乐 (joyous), 欢笑 (laugh merrily). Where 喜 is the joy felt, 欢 is joy expressed out loud and shared. Together, they're 'to like' — the warmth you feel toward what delights you.

Example

喜欢 xǐhuan — to like

欢迎你来中国!
Huānyíng nǐ lái Zhōngguó!
Welcome to China!

How to remember it

An open mouth (欠) in delight — JOY, merriment.

欢迎 ('joy-meet') is 'welcome' — the two characters on the door of every shop and home in China. 喜 + 欢 = 喜欢, 'to like'.

Same sound, different tones

1st huān
joyful
2nd huán
to return
3rd huǎn
slow / to delay
4th huàn
to exchange

Words unlocked by 欢

喜欢 xǐhuan
to like
喜欢你 xǐhuan nǐ
to like you
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One character a morning · 169-character HSK library · iOS