高兴

高興
gāoxìng
adjective HSK 1 #236

Meanings

  1. 1 happy
  2. 2 glad
  3. 3 willing (to do something)

Characters

Literally 'high spirits' - when your mood is elevated, you're happy.

Examples

HSK 1
Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng.
Nice to meet you.
HSK 1
Wǒ bù gāoxìng qù.
I'm not willing to go.
HSK 2
Nǐ gāoxìng jiù hǎo.
As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.

Tips

usage
高兴 describes a mood or emotional state. For 'willing to,' it often appears in the negative: 不高兴 can mean 'unwilling' or 'unhappy' depending on context.
mistakes
Don't confuse 高兴 (happy, a feeling) with 开心 (happy, more casual/colloquial). They overlap heavily, but 高兴 is more often used in polite or formal phrases like 很高兴认识你.
grammar
认识你很高兴 is a set greeting. In everyday speech you'll also hear 很高兴认识你 - both word orders are natural.

In Pop Culture

你高兴就好 Nǐ gāoxìng jiù hǎo
As long as you're happy
Internet catchphrase, mildly sarcastic 'as long as you're happy'.

Stroke Order

高 gāo
兴 xīng