感慨

gǎnkǎi
verb HSK 7 #34,758

Meanings

  1. 1 to sigh with emotion
  2. 2 to feel deeply moved or reflective

Characters

Literally 'feeling and sighing' — the bittersweet emotion when reflecting on life's changes.

Examples

Huídào mǔxiào, tā gǎnkǎi-wànqiān.
Returning to his alma mater, he was overcome with emotion.
Tā gǎnkǎi shíjiān guò de zhēn kuài.
She reflected emotionally on how fast time passes.

Tips

usage
感慨 is uniquely Chinese — it describes that specific feeling when you look at how things have changed and feel a complex mix of nostalgia, awe, and wistfulness. 感慨万千 (a thousand emotions) is a very common four-character expression.

Stroke Order

gǎn
kǎi