感慨万千

感慨萬千
gǎnkǎiwànqiān
idiom #49,502

Meanings

  1. 1 to be overcome with emotion (idiom)
  2. 2 to have countless feelings stirred up
  3. 3 deeply moved by memories or events

Examples

Huí dào kuòbié duō nián de jiāxiāng, tā gǎnkǎiwànqiān.
Returning to the hometown he had been away from for so many years, he was overcome with emotion.
Kàn dào lǎo zhàopiàn, māma gǎnkǎiwànqiān.
Looking at the old photos, Mom was flooded with feelings.
Bìyè diǎnlǐ shàng, xiàozhǎng gǎnkǎiwànqiān de jiǎnghuà.
At the graduation ceremony, the principal spoke with deep emotion.

Tips

usage
Describes complex, reflective emotion triggered by a meaningful scene — a reunion, an old photo, a milestone. Not used for momentary joy or anger; the emotion must be layered and mixed.
memory
万千 (literally 'ten thousand and a thousand') = countless. 感慨 is a sigh of feeling. Put together: countless sighs of feeling welling up at once.

Stroke Order

gǎn
kǎi
wàn
qiān