感恩

• Pinyin: gǎn ēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 感 = 咸 + 心 (feel, emotion); 恩 = 因 + 心 (kindness, grace, favour — cause of the heart)

Meaning

To feel grateful; to be thankful. To acknowledge and appreciate the kindness, sacrifice, or help received from others.

Used in both secular and religious contexts. Common in education (感恩教育 — gratitude education) and self-development discourse. Slightly more elevated in register than 感谢. 感恩节 is Thanksgiving Day.

Examples

1. 母亲节前夕，她在朋友圈发布了一条深情的动态，感恩父母多年来给予自己无私的养育之恩。 On the eve of Mother’s Day, she posted a heartfelt update to her social feed, expressing gratitude for her parents’ selfless care over the years.
2. 他在毕业典礼的致辞中，向每一位曾在人生关键时刻帮助过自己的老师表达了最深切的感恩。 In his commencement speech, he expressed his deepest gratitude to every teacher who had helped him at crucial moments in his life.
3. 这所学校开设了系统性的感恩教育课程，引导学生学会感恩生命中每一份微小而真实的善意。 The school offers a systematic gratitude education program, guiding students to appreciate every small but genuine act of kindness in their lives.

Usage Guide

Context: emotional, education, religion, social

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 他始终铭记恩师的悉心指导，时常以各种形式表达自己对老师数十年教诲的感恩之情。(He has always kept his mentor's guidance firmly in mind, frequently expressing his gratitude for decades of teaching in various ways.)
• 这次公益活动旨在培养青少年的感恩意识，鼓励他们以实际行动回馈社会、传递善意。(This charitable event aims to cultivate a sense of gratitude among young people and encourage them to give back to society through concrete action.)

Don't Say

• 我感恩这道菜很好吃 — 感恩 expresses deep gratitude toward people for their kindness or sacrifice; use 感谢 for politely thanking someone for a specific act, or 享受 for describing food pleasure

Origin & History

感 (feel) + 恩 (grace/kindness/favour)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal