A personified yak teacher pointing to a whiteboard that says Emotions in Traditional Chinese.

Emotions in Traditional Chinese: 90+ Easy Feeling Words & Phrases for Beginners

情緒與感受(Traditional Chinese topic title, because yes, you’re learning the real stuff)

Here’s a practical list of emotions in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin (tone marks), clear meanings, and real-life example sentences. Every item also has an audio button, so you can stop guessing the pronunciation.

Tip: In Taiwan Mandarin, people often say 好 + adjective to mean “really/so.” Like: 我好累 (I’m sooo tired). You’ll see that pattern a lot below.

Quick-use emotion cards

These 8 show up everywhere. Learn them first, then steal the phrases below like a responsible language learner.

開心
kāixīn
happy, glad
見到你我很開心。
jiàndào nǐ wǒ hěn kāixīn.
I’m happy to see you.
難過
nánguò
sad, upset
聽到這件事,我有點難過。
tīngdào zhè jiàn shì, wǒ yǒudiǎn nánguò.
Hearing this, I feel a bit sad.
生氣
shēngqì
angry
他遲到又不說,我很生氣。
tā chídào yòu bù shuō, wǒ hěn shēngqì.
He was late and didn’t say anything—I’m angry.
緊張
jǐnzhāng
nervous
要上台了,我好緊張。
yào shàngtái le, wǒ hǎo jǐnzhāng.
I’m about to go on stage—I’m so nervous.
害怕
hàipà
afraid, scared
我有點害怕黑暗。
wǒ yǒudiǎn hàipà hēi’àn.
I’m a little afraid of the dark.
興奮
xīngfèn
excited
明天要出國,我超興奮!
míngtiān yào chūguó, wǒ chāo xīngfèn!
I’m going abroad tomorrow—I’m super excited!
放鬆
fàngsōng
relaxed
週末我想在家放鬆。
zhōumò wǒ xiǎng zài jiā fàngsōng.
On weekends, I want to relax at home.
驚訝
jīngyà
surprised
你真的來了?我很驚訝。
nǐ zhēn de lái le? wǒ hěn jīngyà.
You really came? I’m surprised.

Relevant phrases and sentences you’ll actually say

Copy these patterns. Swap in different emotion words. Sound human instantly.

我覺得很開心
wǒ juéde hěn kāixīn
I feel really happy.
今天跟朋友聊天,我覺得很開心。
jīntiān gēn péngyǒu liáotiān, wǒ juéde hěn kāixīn.
Chatting with friends today makes me feel happy.
我有點緊張
wǒ yǒudiǎn jǐnzhāng
I’m a little nervous.
第一次面試,我有點緊張。
dì yī cì miànshì, wǒ yǒudiǎn jǐnzhāng.
It’s my first interview—I’m a bit nervous.
我超興奮
wǒ chāo xīngfèn
I’m super excited.
拿到票了!我超興奮!
nádào piào le! wǒ chāo xīngfèn!
I got the tickets! I’m so excited!
今天我心情不好
jīntiān wǒ xīnqíng bù hǎo
I’m in a bad mood today.
今天我心情不好,想安靜一下。
jīntiān wǒ xīnqíng bù hǎo, xiǎng ānjìng yíxià.
I’m in a bad mood today and want some quiet.
別擔心
bié dānxīn
Don’t worry.
別擔心,我會幫你。
bié dānxīn, wǒ huì bāng nǐ.
Don’t worry—I’ll help you.
放心吧
fàngxīn ba
Relax / It’s fine.
放心吧,我已經確認過了。
fàngxīn ba, wǒ yǐjīng quèrèn guò le.
Relax—I already checked it.
我受不了
wǒ shòubùliǎo
I can’t stand it.
這個味道我受不了。
zhège wèidào wǒ shòubùliǎo.
I can’t stand this smell.
我快崩潰了
wǒ kuài bēngkuì le
I’m about to break down.
事情太多了,我快崩潰了。
shìqíng tài duō le, wǒ kuài bēngkuì le.
There are too many things—I’m about to break down.
我好感動
wǒ hǎo gǎndòng
I’m really touched.
你還記得我喜歡什麼,我好感動。
nǐ hái jìde wǒ xǐhuān shénme, wǒ hǎo gǎndòng.
You still remembered what I like—I’m really touched.
我好尷尬
wǒ hǎo gāngà
I’m so embarrassed / awkward.
我忘了他的名字,真的好尷尬。
wǒ wàng le tā de míngzì, zhēn de hǎo gāngà.
I forgot his name—so awkward.
我放心了
wǒ fàngxīn le
I’m relieved.
聽到你平安,我放心了。
tīngdào nǐ píng’ān, wǒ fàngxīn le.
Hearing you’re safe, I’m relieved.
我很期待
wǒ hěn qīdài
I’m looking forward to it.
我很期待下週的聚會。
wǒ hěn qīdài xiàzhōu de jùhuì.
I’m really looking forward to next week’s get-together.
沒關係
méi guānxì
It’s okay / No problem.
沒關係,下次再試就好。
méi guānxì, xiàcì zài shì jiù hǎo.
It’s okay—just try again next time.
我需要冷靜一下
wǒ xūyào lěngjìng yíxià
I need to calm down for a moment.
我需要冷靜一下,等一下再談。
wǒ xūyào lěngjìng yíxià, děng yíxià zài tán.
I need to calm down—let’s talk later.

A useful difference: 情緒 vs 心情 vs 感覺

情緒 is “emotions” (often stronger or more intense). 心情 is “mood” (overall vibe today). 感覺 is “feeling/sensation” (emotion or physical). And 覺得 / 感到 are your go-to “I feel/think” verbs.

情緒
qíngxù
emotion (often intense)
他最近情緒起伏很大。
tā zuìjìn qíngxù qǐfú hěn dà.
His emotions have been very up and down lately.
心情
xīnqíng
mood
今天天氣很好,我心情不錯。
jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo, wǒ xīnqíng búcuò.
The weather is great today, so I’m in a good mood.
感覺
gǎnjué
feeling / sensation
我感覺有點累,想休息。
wǒ gǎnjué yǒudiǎn lèi, xiǎng xiūxí.
I feel a bit tired and want to rest.
覺得 / 感到
juéde / gǎndào
to feel / to think
我覺得很安心,也感到很溫暖。
wǒ juéde hěn ānxīn, yě gǎndào hěn wēnnuǎn.
I feel at ease, and I also feel warm inside.

Table of words

These tables are grouped so your brain doesn’t rage-quit. Each row has Traditional Chinese, pinyin, meaning, and a real sentence.

Positive emotions (good vibes, but in Chinese)
Traditional ChinesePinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH + pinyin)Translation (EN)Audio
快樂kuàilèhappy, joyful
聽到你的好消息,我很快樂。
tīngdào nǐ de hǎo xiāoxī, wǒ hěn kuàilè.
Hearing your good news makes me happy.
高興gāoxìngglad, pleased
你來找我,我很高興。
nǐ lái zhǎo wǒ, wǒ hěn gāoxìng.
I’m glad you came to see me.
愉快yúkuàipleasant, cheerful
我們聊得很愉快。
wǒmen liáo de hěn yúkuài.
We had a pleasant chat.
幸福xìngfúhappy (deeply), blessed
跟家人在一起,我覺得很幸福。
gēn jiārén zài yìqǐ, wǒ juéde hěn xìngfú.
Being with family makes me feel truly happy.
滿足mǎnzúsatisfied, content
吃完這頓飯,我很滿足。
chīwán zhè dùn fàn, wǒ hěn mǎnzú.
After this meal, I feel satisfied.
欣慰xīnwèicomforted, gratified
看到你努力,我很欣慰。
kàndào nǐ nǔlì, wǒ hěn xīnwèi.
Seeing you work hard makes me feel gratified.
感激gǎnjīgrateful (deeply)
你幫了我很多,我很感激。
nǐ bāng le wǒ hěn duō, wǒ hěn gǎnjī.
You helped me a lot—I’m very grateful.
感謝gǎnxièto thank; thankful
真的很感謝你的提醒。
zhēn de hěn gǎnxiè nǐ de tíxǐng.
Thank you so much for the reminder.
安心ānxīnat ease, relieved
你在這裡,我比較安心。
nǐ zài zhèlǐ, wǒ bǐjiào ānxīn.
With you here, I feel more at ease.
自豪zìháoproud
你做得很好,我為你感到自豪。
nǐ zuò de hěn hǎo, wǒ wèi nǐ gǎndào zìháo.
You did great—I’m proud of you.
自信zìxìnconfident
準備充分,我比較自信。
zhǔnbèi chōngfèn, wǒ bǐjiào zìxìn.
With good preparation, I feel more confident.
樂觀lèguānoptimistic
雖然很難,但我還是很樂觀。
suīrán hěn nán, dàn wǒ háishì hěn lèguān.
Even though it’s hard, I’m still optimistic.
享受xiǎngshòuto enjoy
別急,享受這個過程。
bié jí, xiǎngshòu zhège guòchéng.
Don’t rush—enjoy the process.
喜歡xǐhuānto like
我很喜歡這首歌。
wǒ hěn xǐhuān zhè shǒu gē.
I really like this song.
àito love
我愛我的家人。
wǒ ài wǒ de jiārén.
I love my family.
佩服pèifúto admire (respectfully)
你這麼有耐心,我很佩服。
nǐ zhème yǒu nàixīn, wǒ hěn pèifú.
You’re so patient—I really admire that.
熱情rèqíngenthusiastic, warm
他對新工作很熱情。
tā duì xīn gōngzuò hěn rèqíng.
He’s very enthusiastic about the new job.
溫暖wēnnuǎnwarm (emotionally)
她的話讓我覺得很溫暖。
tā de huà ràng wǒ juéde hěn wēnnuǎn.
Her words made me feel warm inside.
Sadness and low mood (the “I’m fine” section)
Traditional ChinesePinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH + pinyin)Translation (EN)Audio
傷心shāngxīnheartbroken, sad
想到那件事,我還是會傷心。
xiǎngdào nà jiàn shì, wǒ háishì huì shāngxīn.
Thinking about it still makes me sad.
沮喪jǔsàngdepressed, discouraged
一直失敗讓我很沮喪。
yìzhí shībài ràng wǒ hěn jǔsàng.
Failing repeatedly makes me discouraged.
失望shīwàngdisappointed
結果跟我想的不一樣,我很失望。
jiéguǒ gēn wǒ xiǎng de bù yíyàng, wǒ hěn shīwàng.
The result wasn’t what I expected—I’m disappointed.
絕望juéwànghopeless, in despair
別絕望,我們還有方法。
bié juéwàng, wǒmen hái yǒu fāngfǎ.
Don’t lose hope—we still have options.
憂鬱yōuyùgloomy, depressed
下雨天我容易覺得憂鬱。
xiàyǔ tiān wǒ róngyì juéde yōuyù.
Rainy days easily make me feel gloomy.
孤單gūdānlonely
搬到新城市後,我有點孤單。
bāndào xīn chéngshì hòu, wǒ yǒudiǎn gūdān.
After moving to a new city, I feel a bit lonely.
寂寞jìmòlonely (more “empty”)
一個人吃飯的時候會覺得寂寞。
yí gè rén chīfàn de shíhou huì juéde jìmò.
Eating alone can feel lonely.
無助wúzhùhelpless
我不知道怎麼辦,覺得很無助。
wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme bàn, juéde hěn wúzhù.
I don’t know what to do—I feel helpless.
委屈wěiqūwronged, upset
我沒有做錯,卻被罵,覺得很委屈。
wǒ méiyǒu zuòcuò, què bèi mà, juéde hěn wěiqū.
I didn’t do anything wrong, but got scolded—I feel wronged.
心痛xīntòngheartache
看到那個畫面,我很心痛。
kàndào nàgè huàmiàn, wǒ hěn xīntòng.
Seeing that scene broke my heart.
心碎xīnsuìheartbroken
聽到分手的消息,她覺得心碎。
tīngdào fēnshǒu de xiāoxī, tā juéde xīnsuì.
Hearing the breakup news, she felt heartbroken.
想哭xiǎng kūfeel like crying
我累到想哭。
wǒ lèi dào xiǎng kū.
I’m so tired I feel like crying.
想家xiǎng jiāhomesick
出國一個月後,我開始想家。
chūguó yí gè yuè hòu, wǒ kāishǐ xiǎng jiā.
After a month abroad, I started to miss home.
低落dīluòdown, low
最近我有點低落,需要休息。
zuìjìn wǒ yǒudiǎn dīluò, xūyào xiūxí.
I’ve been a bit down lately and need rest.
失落shīluòlet down, dejected
沒被選上,我有點失落。
méi bèi xuǎnshàng, wǒ yǒudiǎn shīluò.
Not being chosen made me feel dejected.
空虛kōngxūempty (emotionally)
忙完之後反而覺得空虛。
mángwán zhīhòu fǎn’ér juéde kōngxū.
After being busy, I oddly feel empty.
麻木mámùnumb (emotionally)
太多壓力會讓人變得麻木。
tài duō yālì huì ràng rén biàn de mámù.
Too much stress can make a person feel numb.
內疚nèijiùguilty
我說錯話了,覺得很內疚。
wǒ shuōcuò huà le, juéde hěn nèijiù.
I said the wrong thing and feel guilty.
後悔hòuhuǐto regret
我很後悔沒早點開始學中文。
wǒ hěn hòuhuǐ méi zǎodiǎn kāishǐ xué Zhōngwén.
I regret not starting Chinese earlier.
Anger, annoyance, and disgust (calmly… not calm at all)
Traditional ChinesePinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH + pinyin)Translation (EN)Audio
憤怒fènnùfurious, enraged
這種不公平讓人很憤怒。
zhè zhǒng bù gōngpíng ràng rén hěn fènnù.
This kind of unfairness makes people angry.
火大huǒdàmad (casual)
他一直插隊,我真的很火大。
tā yìzhí chāduì, wǒ zhēn de hěn huǒdà.
He kept cutting in line—I’m really mad.
不爽bùshuǎngannoyed, not happy (casual)
被放鴿子當然不爽。
bèi fàng gēzi dāngrán bùshuǎng.
Getting stood up is obviously annoying.
fánannoyed; bothered
一直被打擾,我好煩。
yìzhí bèi dǎrǎo, wǒ hǎo fán.
Being interrupted nonstop is so annoying.
厭煩yànfánfed up
同樣的事一再重複,我有點厭煩。
tóngyàng de shì yízài chóngfù, wǒ yǒudiǎn yànfán.
The same thing repeating again and again makes me fed up.
不耐煩bù nàifánimpatient
等太久我會不耐煩。
děng tài jiǔ wǒ huì bù nàifán.
If I wait too long, I get impatient.
討厭tǎoyànto dislike; annoying
我討厭被催。
wǒ tǎoyàn bèi cuī.
I hate being rushed.
反感fǎngǎnto feel turned off
他說話太刻薄,讓人反感。
tā shuōhuà tài kèbó, ràng rén fǎngǎn.
He talks too harshly—it puts people off.
噁心ěxīndisgusting; nauseated
那個味道有點噁心。
nàgè wèidào yǒudiǎn ěxīn.
That smell is kind of gross.
抱怨bàoyuànto complain
我不是想抱怨,只是很累。
wǒ bú shì xiǎng bàoyuàn, zhǐshì hěn lèi.
I’m not trying to complain—I’m just tired.
生悶氣shēng mènqìto sulk (hold in anger)
有話就說,別生悶氣。
yǒu huà jiù shuō, bié shēng mènqì.
Say what you mean—don’t sulk.
氣炸了qìzhà leso angry (literally “exploded”)
他又忘記約定,我都氣炸了。
tā yòu wàngjì yuēdìng, wǒ dōu qìzhà le.
He forgot the appointment again—I’m furious.
氣到不行qì dào bù xíngmad beyond words
看到那個回覆,我氣到不行。
kàndào nàgè huífù, wǒ qì dào bù xíng.
That reply made me unbelievably angry.
發火fāhuǒto lose your temper
我不想發火,但我需要你認真聽。
wǒ bù xiǎng fāhuǒ, dàn wǒ xūyào nǐ rènzhēn tīng.
I don’t want to lose my temper, but I need you to listen.
火冒三丈huǒ mào sān zhàngfurious (idiom)
他一聽就火冒三丈。
tā yì tīng jiù huǒ mào sān zhàng.
The moment he heard it, he got furious.
冷淡lěngdàncold, indifferent
他突然變得很冷淡,我有點不安。
tā tūrán biàn de hěn lěngdàn, wǒ yǒudiǎn bù’ān.
He suddenly became cold—I feel uneasy.
Anxiety, fear, stress (brain running 47 tabs)
Traditional ChinesePinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH + pinyin)Translation (EN)Audio
焦慮jiāolǜanxious
不知道結果,我有點焦慮。
bù zhīdào jiéguǒ, wǒ yǒudiǎn jiāolǜ.
Not knowing the result makes me anxious.
擔心dānxīnto worry
我擔心你太累了。
wǒ dānxīn nǐ tài lèi le.
I’m worried you’re too tired.
不安bù’ānuneasy
他沒回訊息,我心裡很不安。
tā méi huí xùnxī, wǒ xīnlǐ hěn bù’ān.
He didn’t reply, so I feel uneasy.
恐懼kǒngjùfear (strong)
面對未知會讓人恐懼。
miànduì wèizhī huì ràng rén kǒngjù.
Facing the unknown can be frightening.
驚恐jīngkǒngpanic, terrified
聽到巨響,他一瞬間很驚恐。
tīngdào jùxiǎng, tā yí shùnjiān hěn jīngkǒng.
Hearing a loud bang, he panicked for a moment.
心慌xīnhuāngflustered, panicky
出門忘了帶手機,我有點心慌。
chūmén wàng le dài shǒujī, wǒ yǒudiǎn xīnhuāng.
I forgot my phone and felt flustered.
壓力yālìstress, pressure
最近工作壓力很大。
zuìjìn gōngzuò yālì hěn dà.
Work stress has been heavy lately.
緊繃jǐnbēngtense (body/mood)
我肩膀很緊繃,該伸展一下。
wǒ jiānbǎng hěn jǐnbēng, gāi shēnzhǎn yíxià.
My shoulders are tense—I should stretch.
嚇到xiàdàoto be startled
突然有人拍我肩膀,我被嚇到。
tūrán yǒu rén pāi wǒ jiānbǎng, wǒ bèi xiàdào.
Someone tapped my shoulder suddenly—I got startled.
心驚膽跳xīnjīng dǎntiàoheart pounding (scared)
看恐怖片看到心驚膽跳。
kàn kǒngbùpiàn kàn dào xīnjīng dǎntiào.
The horror movie had my heart pounding.
毛骨悚然máogǔ sǒngráncreeped out
他那句話讓我毛骨悚然。
tā nà jù huà ràng wǒ máogǔ sǒngrán.
What he said gave me chills.
害羞hàixiūshy
被稱讚的時候我會害羞。
bèi chēngzàn de shíhou wǒ huì hàixiū.
I get shy when I’m complimented.
尷尬gāngàawkward; embarrassed
電梯裡太安靜,氣氛很尷尬。
diàntī lǐ tài ānjìng, qìfēn hěn gāngà.
It was so quiet in the elevator—super awkward.
羞愧xiūkuìashamed
我不該那樣說,現在很羞愧。
wǒ bù gāi nàyàng shuō, xiànzài hěn xiūkuì.
I shouldn’t have said that—I feel ashamed now.
丟臉diūliǎnembarrassing; to lose face
在大家面前跌倒有點丟臉。
zài dàjiā miànqián diēdǎo yǒudiǎn diūliǎn.
Falling in front of everyone is a bit embarrassing.
Surprise, curiosity, confusion (wait, what?)
Traditional ChinesePinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH + pinyin)Translation (EN)Audio
意外yìwàiunexpected
你也會來?真意外。
nǐ yě huì lái? zhēn yìwài.
You’re coming too? That’s unexpected.
震驚zhènjīngshocked
聽到那個數字,我很震驚。
tīngdào nàgè shùzì, wǒ hěn zhènjīng.
Hearing that number, I was shocked.
好奇hàoqícurious
我很好奇你怎麼做到的。
wǒ hěn hàoqí nǐ zěnme zuòdào de.
I’m curious how you did it.
困惑kùnhuòconfused
他的意思我不太懂,有點困惑。
tā de yìsi wǒ bù tài dǒng, yǒudiǎn kùnhuò.
I don’t really get what he means—I’m confused.
懷疑huáiyíto doubt; suspicious
我懷疑他忘記了。
wǒ huáiyí tā wàngjì le.
I suspect he forgot.
不敢相信bù gǎn xiāngxìncan’t believe it
我不敢相信你記得我的生日!
wǒ bù gǎn xiāngxìn nǐ jìde wǒ de shēngrì!
I can’t believe you remembered my birthday!
Calm, relief, and coping (how to not explode in public)
Traditional ChinesePinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH + pinyin)Translation (EN)Audio
冷靜lěngjìngcalm (down)
先冷靜一下,我們再討論。
xiān lěngjìng yíxià, wǒmen zài tǎolùn.
Let’s calm down first, then discuss.
平靜píngjìngpeaceful, calm
海邊讓我的心很平靜。
hǎibiān ràng wǒ de xīn hěn píngjìng.
The seaside makes my heart feel calm.
安寧ānníngtranquil
這裡很安寧,適合休息。
zhèlǐ hěn ānníng, shìhé xiūxí.
It’s tranquil here—good for resting.
鬆一口氣sōng yì kǒu qìto breathe a sigh of relief
問題解決了,我終於鬆一口氣。
wèntí jiějué le, wǒ zhōngyú sōng yì kǒu qì.
The problem is solved—I can finally relax.
如釋重負rú shì zhòng fùrelieved (idiom)
考完試後,我如釋重負。
kǎo wán shì hòu, wǒ rú shì zhòng fù.
After the exam, I felt a huge relief.
釋懷shìhuáito let go (emotionally)
聊開了以後,我就釋懷了。
liáo kāi le yǐhòu, wǒ jiù shìhuái le.
After we talked it out, I let it go.
忍耐rěnnàito endure, be patient
再忍耐一下,很快就結束了。
zài rěnnài yíxià, hěn kuài jiù jiéshù le.
Hang in there a bit more—it’ll be over soon.
振作zhènzuòpull yourself together
失敗沒關係,振作起來。
shībài méi guānxì, zhènzuò qǐlái.
Failure is okay—pull yourself together.
打起精神dǎ qǐ jīngshéncheer up; perk up
喝點水,打起精神再做。
hē diǎn shuǐ, dǎ qǐ jīngshén zài zuò.
Drink some water, perk up, then continue.
深呼吸shēn hūxīdeep breath
深呼吸三次,會好一點。
shēn hūxī sān cì, huì hǎo yìdiǎn.
Take three deep breaths—it helps.

Optional variants: How strong is the feeling?

These little words upgrade your emotional accuracy from “meh” to “actually helpful.”

Traditional ChinesePinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH + pinyin)Translation (EN)Audio
有點yǒudiǎna little
我有點擔心明天的天氣。
wǒ yǒudiǎn dānxīn míngtiān de tiānqì.
I’m a little worried about tomorrow’s weather.
有些yǒuxiēsomewhat
我有些困惑,可以再說一次嗎?
wǒ yǒuxiē kùnhuò, kěyǐ zài shuō yí cì ma?
I’m somewhat confused—can you say it again?
mánquite (casual)
今天蠻開心的。
jīntiān mán kāixīn de.
I’m quite happy today.
hěnvery
我很緊張,但我會努力。
wǒ hěn jǐnzhāng, dàn wǒ huì nǔlì.
I’m very nervous, but I’ll try my best.
非常fēichángextremely (polite/standard)
我非常感謝你的幫忙。
wǒ fēicháng gǎnxiè nǐ de bāngmáng.
I’m extremely thankful for your help.
chāosuper (casual)
我超期待這個週末。
wǒ chāo qīdài zhège zhōumò.
I’m super excited for this weekend.
超級chāojísuper (a bit stronger)
我超級累,想直接睡。
wǒ chāojí lèi, xiǎng zhíjiē shuì.
I’m super tired—I want to sleep right away.
tàitoo; so (often with 了)
這也太尷尬了吧。
zhè yě tài gāngà le ba.
This is way too awkward.
一點也不yìdiǎn yě bùnot at all
我一點也不生氣,真的。
wǒ yìdiǎn yě bù shēngqì, zhēn de.
I’m not angry at all—really.