激动

• Pinyin: jī dòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 激 = 氵 (water) + 敫 (to strike, phonetic) — water striking forcefully; 动 = 云 (cloud) + 力 (strength) — force in motion

Meaning

Excited; emotionally stirred; to be moved. Describes a strong emotional response, often involving joy, agitation, or deep feeling.

Can describe both positive excitement (winning a prize, reuniting with someone) and strong agitation (anger, frustration). Used as both an adjective and a verb. Common collocations include 激动得哭了 (so moved that one cried), 非常激动 (very excited), and 激动人心 (stirring, inspiring).

Examples

1. 听到自己被录取的消息，她激动得哭了。 Upon hearing the news of her admission, she was so excited that she cried.
2. 比赛结束后，球迷们都非常激动。 After the match ended, the fans were all very excited.
3. 请你别太激动，我们慢慢讨论这件事。 Please don't get too worked up — let's discuss this matter slowly.

Usage Guide

Context: emotions, events, reactions

Tone: emotional

Do Say

• 我太激动了，不知道说什么好。(I'm so excited, I don't know what to say.)
• 这个故事让很多观众都很激动。(This story moved many audience members deeply.)

Don't Say

• 我对吃午饭很激动 (Don't use 激动 for mild everyday excitement — use 期待 or 高兴 instead; 激动 implies strong emotional stirring)

Origin & History

激 (to surge, to arouse) + 动 (to move) — emotions surging and stirring within.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal