喝彩

• Pinyin: hè cǎi
• Hanzi breakdown: 喝 = 口 (mouth) + 曷 (phonetic — to shout/call); 彩 = 彡 (decoration/shine) + 采 (to pick/gather colours)

Meaning

To cheer; to applaud enthusiastically; to acclaim. To express admiration, excitement, or approval through shouts, cheers, or applause.

Originally referred to shouting 好! (Excellent!) at performances or displays of skill. Now broadly used for any form of enthusiastic public acclamation or appreciation. Commonly collocates with 为…喝彩 (to cheer for…) and 赢得喝彩 (to win acclaim). Appears in contexts ranging from sports and performing arts to acts of courage and professional excellence. The phrase 为平凡喝彩 (cheering for the ordinary) appears in motivational and media contexts.

Examples

1. 精彩的杂技表演赢得了台下观众一阵又一阵的喝彩，掌声经久不息。 The spectacular acrobatics won wave after wave of cheers from the audience, and the applause went on and on.
2. 当消防员从火场成功救出被困儿童时，现场围观市民自发地为他们喝彩欢呼。 When firefighters rescued the trapped child from the blaze, bystanders spontaneously cheered and applauded them.
3. 这位年逾七旬的钢琴家演奏完最后一个乐章后，全场观众起立为他热烈喝彩长达数分钟。 After the pianist in his seventies finished the final movement, the entire audience stood and gave him a rousing ovation for several minutes.

Usage Guide

Context: performing arts, sports, public events, social media, motivational

Tone: enthusiastic

Do Say

• 每次他完成一个高难度动作，看台上的球迷便齐声为他喝彩，现场气氛热烈至极。(Every time he completed a high-difficulty move, the fans in the stands cheered for him in unison, creating an electrifying atmosphere.)
• 我们不仅要为英雄喝彩，更要为每一位在平凡岗位上默默付出的普通劳动者喝彩。(We should not only cheer for heroes, but also for every ordinary worker who quietly dedicates themselves in humble posts.)

Don't Say

• 喝彩 (hè cǎi) confused with 喝 read as hē (to drink) — the character 喝 has two readings; in 喝彩 it is always hè (to shout/call), not hē (to drink)

Origin & History

喝 (to shout; call out — in this context; also: to drink in other readings) + 彩 (colour; applause; acclaim; good fortune)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal