gǎnqíng: 感情 - Feeling, Emotion, Affection, Relationship

• Keywords: gǎnqíng, 感情, Chinese word for feeling, emotion in Chinese, Chinese word for affection, relationship in Chinese, gǎnqíng meaning, 感情是什么意思, gǎnqíng vs àiqíng, cultivate feelings in Chinese, deep feelings.
• Summary: Learn the deep meaning of 感情 (gǎnqíng), a fundamental Chinese word for feeling, emotion, and affection. This page explores how 感情 describes the emotional bond in relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners. Discover its cultural importance, how it differs from romantic love (爱情, àiqíng), and see practical examples to understand how to use it correctly in modern conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): gǎnqíng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A deep and stable feeling, emotion, affection, or the emotional bond within a relationship.
• In a Nutshell: 感情 (gǎnqíng) is the emotional “glue” that holds relationships together. It's broader than romantic love and can describe the deep connection you have with family, old friends, or a partner. Think of it not as a fleeting mood, but as a bond that is built and nurtured over time through shared experiences. It represents the warmth, history, and substance of a connection.

• 感 (gǎn): To feel, to sense, to affect. This character combines 咸 (xián), which originally meant “to influence,” and 心 (xīn), the “heart” radical. So, 感 literally depicts something influencing or touching the heart.
• 情 (qíng): Feeling, sentiment, passion. This character combines the “heart” radical 心 (xīn) on the left with 青 (qīng), which primarily provides the phonetic sound. The heart radical clearly marks this character as relating to emotions.
• Together, 感情 (gǎnqíng) combines a “feeling in the heart” with “sentiment,” creating a powerful term for a deep, established emotional connection.

In Chinese culture, 感情 (gǎnqíng) is a cornerstone of interpersonal relationships (关系, guānxi). It is something that must be actively cultivated (培养, péiyǎng), not something that just appears. This contrasts with the Western concept of “chemistry,” which can be an instant, almost magical attraction. 感情, on the other hand, implies a process. It grows from shared history, mutual support, loyalty, and time spent together. A common and highly valued phrase is 培养感情 (péiyǎng gǎnqíng), which means “to cultivate a relationship” or “to nurture the bond.” This can be done before marriage, between new colleagues, or to strengthen family ties. This focus on cultivation reflects a cultural value placed on stability, long-term commitment, and harmony. A relationship with deep 感情 is seen as strong, reliable, and able to withstand challenges. It's less about passionate, public displays of affection and more about a quiet, enduring, and dependable bond. It applies equally to the unbreakable ties with one's parents (亲情, qīnqíng) and the profound loyalty between sworn brothers (友情, yǒuqíng).

感情 is used constantly in daily life to describe the quality and state of relationships.

• Describing Relationship Quality: It's very common to say someone's 感情 is “good” or “not good.”
  • `他们感情很好。(Tāmen gǎnqíng hěn hǎo.)` - They have a very good relationship / They are very close.
  • `我们感情没问题。(Wǒmen gǎnqíng méi wèntí.)` - There are no problems in our relationship.
• Relationship Breakdown: It's central to discussions about breakups or divorce.
  • `感情破裂 (gǎnqíng pòliè)` is the formal term for an irreparable breakdown of a relationship, often cited in divorce proceedings.
  • `伤害感情 (shānghài gǎnqíng)` means “to hurt someone's feelings” in a deep, relational way, far more serious than a minor offense.
• As a General Concept: It can refer to emotion itself, often in contrast to logic.
  • `他是个重感情的人。(Tā shì ge zhòng gǎnqíng de rén.)` - He's a person who values emotional connections highly / He's a sentimental person.

Example 1: 我们结婚十年了，感情一直很好。 Pinyin: Wǒmen jiéhūn shí nián le, gǎnqíng yīzhí hěn hǎo. English: We've been married for ten years, and our relationship has always been very good. Analysis: This is a classic use of 感情 to describe the stable, positive emotional bond in a long-term relationship. Example 2: 分手后，他感情上受到了很大的打击。 Pinyin: Fēnshǒu hòu, tā gǎnqíng shàng shòudào le hěn dà de dǎjī. English: After the breakup, he was hit hard emotionally. Analysis: Here, 感情上 (gǎnqíng shàng) means “on an emotional level” or “emotionally,” referring to the deep feelings associated with a romantic relationship. Example 3: 我和我最好的朋友有二十多年的感情了。 Pinyin: Wǒ hé wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou yǒu èrshí duō nián de gǎnqíng le. English: My best friend and I have a bond of over 20 years. Analysis: This shows that 感情 is not limited to romance. It perfectly describes the deep, historical bond of a long-standing friendship. Example 4: 你们需要多花点时间在一起，培养一下感情。 Pinyin: Nǐmen xūyào duō huā diǎn shíjiān zài yīqǐ, péiyǎng yīxià gǎnqíng. English: You two need to spend more time together to cultivate your relationship. Analysis: This uses the key phrase 培养感情 (péiyǎng gǎnqíng), emphasizing that the bond needs to be actively nurtured. Example 5: 你这么做会伤害我们之间的感情的。 Pinyin: Nǐ zhème zuò huì shānghài wǒmen zhījiān de gǎnqíng de. English: Doing this will hurt the bond between us. Analysis: 伤害感情 (shānghài gǎnqíng) means to damage the relationship itself. It's much stronger than just hurting someone's mood. Example 6: 他对这只小狗有很深的感情。 Pinyin: Tā duì zhè zhī xiǎo gǒu yǒu hěn shēn de gǎnqíng. English: He has very deep feelings for this puppy. Analysis: This demonstrates the versatility of 感情, which can even describe the powerful bond between a person and a pet. Example 7: 他们因为感情不和而离婚了。 Pinyin: Tāmen yīnwèi gǎnqíng bùhé ér líhūn le. English: They divorced due to emotional incompatibility. Analysis: 感情不和 (gǎnqíng bùhé) is a common and somewhat formal way to say that a couple's relationship is discordant, leading to a split. Example 8: 不要用感情来处理工作上的问题。 Pinyin: Bùyào yòng gǎnqíng lái chǔlǐ gōngzuò shàng de wèntí. English: Don't use emotion to handle work-related problems. Analysis: In this context, 感情 refers to personal feelings or sentimentality, which should be kept separate from professional, rational decisions. Example 9: 他对故乡充满了感情。 Pinyin: Tā duì gùxiāng chōngmǎnle gǎnqíng. English: He is full of deep affection for his hometown. Analysis: 感情 can also express a deep, sentimental attachment to a place, not just a person. Example 10: 他是一个不善于表达感情的人。 Pinyin: Tā shì yīgè bù shànyú biǎodá gǎnqíng de rén. English: He is someone who isn't good at expressing his feelings. Analysis: This refers to the inability to show deeper emotions and affection, not just fleeting moods.

• `感情 (gǎnqíng)` vs. `情绪 (qíngxù)` - Deep Bond vs. Current Mood: This is the most common point of confusion.
  • 感情 (gǎnqíng) is a deep, stable emotional state or bond developed over time. (Your relationship with your mother is 感情.)
  • 情绪 (qíngxù) is a temporary mood or emotional state. (Being angry because you're stuck in traffic is 情绪.)
  • Incorrect: `我今天感情不好。` (My “relationship bond” is bad today.)
  • Correct: `我今天情绪不好。` (I'm in a bad mood today.)
• `感情 (gǎnqíng)` vs. `爱情 (àiqíng)` - Affection vs. Romantic Love:
  • 爱情 (àiqíng) specifically means “romantic love.” It's the love between partners.
  • 感情 (gǎnqíng) is a much broader term for affection that includes romantic love, family love (亲情), and friendship (友情). All 爱情 involves 感情, but not all 感情 is 爱情. You have 感情 for your best friend, but not 爱情.
• “Having feelings for someone”: `有感觉 (yǒu gǎnjué)` vs. `有感情 (yǒu gǎnqíng)`:
  • If you want to say you have a crush or “have feelings” for someone in a budding romantic sense, it is more natural to say 我对你有感觉 (Wǒ duì nǐ yǒu gǎnjué). It means “I have a feeling/impression about you,” and implies attraction.
  • Saying 我对你有感情 (Wǒ duì nǐ yǒu gǎnqíng) sounds much more serious and profound. It implies a deep, established bond has already formed, and it can sound a bit old-fashioned or overly formal, like a confession before marriage.

• 爱情 (àiqíng) - Romantic love. A specific type of 感情.
• 情绪 (qíngxù) - Mood, emotional state. Unlike 感情, this is temporary and changeable.
• 感觉 (gǎnjué) - A feeling, a sense, an impression. More superficial and immediate than 感情.
• 关系 (guānxi) - Relationship, connection. 感情 is the emotional content and quality of a 关系.
• 友情 (yǒuqíng) - The feeling of friendship. A non-romantic form of 感情.
• 亲情 (qīnqíng) - The feeling of familial affection (e.g., between parents and children). A non-romantic form of 感情.
• 培养 (péiyǎng) - To cultivate, nurture. The verb most commonly paired with 感情, as in 培养感情.
• 伤害 (shānghài) - To hurt, to injure. Often used with 感情 to mean damaging a relationship.
• 多愁善感 (duōchóu-shàngǎn) - An idiom meaning “melancholy and sentimental”; being full of 感 (feelings).