Learning a language isn’t just about memorising nouns, verbs, adjectives and grammar – it’s about connecting with others.
And to go beyond surface connections and really bond with people, you’re going to need to know how to express yourself – and your feelings.
Whether you’re happy, tired, or just need a snack, here’s a quick guide to talking about your feelings in Mandarin Chinese.
The groundwork: basic sentence structure
In English, we often say “I am [emotion/state]” to convey how we’re feeling. It’s similar in Mandarin, just with a small difference: instead of using the verb ‘to be’ (是 shì), you usually use 很 (hěn) instead. Like this:
Subject + 很 + feeling
For example: 我很累 wǒ hěn lèi – I’m tired
很 itself means ‘very’, but not when it’s used to convey feelings. Instead, it acts as a linking adverb. (There’s a way to say you’re feeling ‘very something’ or ‘a little something’, but more on that in a bit.)
We also sometimes say “I feel [emotion/state]” in English, which you can also say in Mandarin. You still need to use 很, but the idea is the same:
For example: 我感觉很累 wǒ gǎnjué hěn lèi – I feel tired
Essential vocabulary
Here are some common feelings you need to know:
Positive emotions
- Happy: 开心 (kāixīn) or 高兴 (gāoxìng)
- Excited: 兴奋 (xīngfèn)
- Relieved: 宽心 (kuānxīn), 放心 (fàngxīn) or 安心 (ānxīn)
- Grateful: 感激 (gǎnjī)
- Comfortable: 舒服 (shūfú)
- Content/happy: 幸福 (xìngfú)
Negative emotions
- Sad: 伤心 (shāngxīn) or 难过 (nánguò)
- Angy: 生气 (shēngqì)
- Worried: 担心 (dānxīn), 烦恼 (fánnǎo) or 焦急 (jiāojí)
- Scared: 害怕 (hàipà)
- Bored: 无聊 (wúliáo)
- Disappointed: 失望 (shīwàng)
Neutral/physical states:
- Tired: 累 (lèi)
- Sleepy: 困 (kùn)
- Hungry: 饿 (è)
- Thirsty: 渴 (kě)
- Busy: 忙 (máng)
- Hot: 热 (rè)
- Cold: 冷 (lěng)
Putting it into practice
Here are some sentences to put a few of the words above into context.
我很高兴见到你。 Wǒ hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ. (I’m happy to meet you.)
他明天要考试，所以很紧张 。Tā míngtiān yào kǎoshì, suǒyǐ hěn jǐnzhāng. (He has an exam tomorrow, so he’s nervous.)
我现在很饿，因为今天早上忘记吃饭了。 Wǒ xiànzài hěn è, yīnwèi jīntiān zǎoshang wàngjì chīfàn le. (I’m hungry now because I forgot to eat breakfast this morning.)
How to change the intensity or negate the feeling
All you need to do to turn your feelings up and down a notch – or to say that you’re not feeling something – is to swap the linking adverb 很 for something else.
To say you’re feeling:
- ‘Very something’, use 非常 (fēicháng)
- ‘A little something’, use 有点 (yǒudiǎn) or 有点儿 (yǒudiǎn’er)
- ‘Too something’, use 太 [feeling] 了 (tài [feeling] le)
- ‘Not something’ use 不 (bù)
For example:
请把窗户关了，我非常冷。Qǐng bǎ chuānghù guānle, wǒ fēicháng lěng. (Please close the window, I’m very cold.)
看到那只狗，这只猫有点害怕。Kàn dào nà zhǐ gǒu, zhè zhǐ māo yǒudiǎn hàipà. (The cat was a bit scared when it saw the dog.)
我太忙了！Wǒ tài máng le! (I’m too busy!)
我不生气，只是很失望。(I’m not angry, just disappointed.)
Ready to start using your new skills in the wild? Our homestay learning courses are the perfect opportunity to take your Mandarin-learning journey to the next level while staying with a professional language teacher in China and Taiwan.
Have a look at our range of programmes here.
