感慨

gǎnkǎi
verb HSK 7-9 #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

HSK 2
Tā gǎnkǎi shíjiān guò de zhēn kuài.
She reflected emotionally on how fast time passes.
HSK 7-9
Huídào mǔxiào, tā gǎnkǎi-wànqiān.
Returning to his alma mater, he was overcome with emotion.

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