心情

• Pinyin: xīn qíng
• Hanzi breakdown: 心 = pictograph of the heart; 情 = 忄(heart radical) + 青 (green/young, phonetic), meaning 'emotion/feeling'

Meaning

Mood; state of mind. How someone feels emotionally at a given time.

Describes a person's temporary emotional state. Very commonly paired with adjectives: 心情好 (in a good mood), 心情不好 (in a bad mood). Can also be used with 影响 (to affect): 天气影响了我的心情 (The weather affected my mood). More specific than general 感觉 (feeling).

Examples

1. 今天我心情很好。 I am in a very good mood today.
2. 不要让坏天气影响你的心情。 Don't let bad weather affect your mood.
3. 听了这首歌，他的心情好了很多。 After listening to this song, his mood improved a lot.

Usage Guide

Context: emotions, daily life, well-being

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你今天心情怎么样？(How is your mood today?)
• 出去走走可以改变心情。(Going for a walk can change your mood.)

Don't Say

• 用心情代替感情 (Don't use 心情 mood when you mean 感情 feelings/relationship — 心情 is temporary emotional state, while 感情 refers to deeper feelings or relationships)

Origin & History

心 (xīn, heart) + 情 (qíng, feeling/emotion). Literally 'heart-feeling' — the emotional state of the heart.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal