慷慨

• Pinyin: kāng kǎi
• Hanzi breakdown: 慷 = 忄(heart) + 康 (healthy, phonetic) — generous, moved; 慨 = 忄(heart) + 既 (already, phonetic) — indignant, generous

Meaning

Generous; magnanimous; impassioned.

Has two main meanings: 1) Generous, especially with money or resources; 2) Passionate and stirring (as in 慷慨激昂 impassioned speech). The first meaning is more common in everyday use. Collocates with 大方 (generous), 解囊 (open one's purse), 激昂 (impassioned).

Examples

1. 他为人慷慨，朋友有困难时总是倾囊相助。 He's a generous person — when friends are in trouble, he always helps wholeheartedly.
2. 这位企业家慷慨解囊，向灾区捐赠了一千万元。 This entrepreneur generously opened his purse and donated ten million yuan to the disaster area.
3. 革命先辈们慷慨激昂的演讲至今仍然振奋人心。 The impassioned speeches of revolutionary pioneers still inspire people today.

Usage Guide

Context: praise, donations, emotions

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 他对朋友很慷慨。(He's very generous with friends.)
• 感谢您的慷慨捐赠。(Thank you for your generous donation.)

Don't Say

• 天气很慷慨。(慷慨 is for people and their behavior — not for describing weather or objects)

Origin & History

慷 (generous, stirred) + 慨 (indignant, generous). Both characters share the heart radical (忄) and suggest strong emotions related to generosity or passion.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal