每天成语
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心甘情愿

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: xīn gān qíng yuàn
  • English Translation: Willingly and gladly (of one's own free will)
  • Idiom Composition: 「心」（Heart or mind; the seat of one's true intentions.）＋「甘」（Sweet; in this context, it means to be willing or to accept something contentedly.）＋「情」（Emotion or feeling; indicating the action is driven by sentiment.）＋「愿」（To wish, desire, or be willing.）
  • Meaning: To do something out of one's own volition with complete satisfaction and without any coercion. It describes a state where a person is perfectly happy to undertake a task, even if it involves significant hardship, sacrifice, or effort, because they are personally committed to the cause.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「心甘情愿」 contains the following nuances:

  • Internal Motivation: The combination of 甘 (gān) and 愿 (yuàn) emphasizes that the drive comes from within. It is the opposite of being forced or acting out of a mere sense of duty.
  • Acceptance of Hardship: This idiom is specifically powerful when used in the context of 'bitter' or difficult tasks. It suggests that the person's emotional resolve turns the 'bitter' task into something they 'sweetly' (甘) accept.

3. Usage

「心甘情愿」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Devotion and Love: Used to describe the selfless actions one takes for family or loved ones, emphasizing that the effort is a labor of love.
    • Example:「为了孩子的未来，父母哪怕再辛苦也是心甘情愿的。」
      （For the sake of their children's future, parents are perfectly willing to endure any amount of hardship.)
  • Accepting Consequences: Used when someone takes full responsibility for their choices, even if the outcome is negative or involves a penalty.
    • Example:「这是我自己做出的选择，无论结果如何，我都心甘情愿。」
      （This was my own choice; whatever the outcome, I accept it wholeheartedly.)
  • Volunteering and Service: Ideal for explaining the motivation behind altruistic acts where no reward is expected.
    • Example:「这些志愿者心甘情愿地放弃假期，去山区支教。」
      （These volunteers willingly gave up their vacations to go teach in the mountain regions.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 只要能帮到你，让我做什么我都心甘情愿。
    （As long as it helps you, I am more than happy to do anything.）
  2. 他心甘情愿地当绿叶，衬托主角的光彩。
    （He was perfectly content to play a supporting role to let the lead shine.）
  3. 没有人逼他，他是心甘情愿辞职的。
    （No one forced him; he resigned of his own free will.）
  4. 为了这项研究，他心甘情愿地在这个偏僻的地方待了十年。
    （For the sake of this research, he gladly stayed in this remote place for ten years.）
  5. 如果是为了正义，即使牺牲生命我也心甘情愿。
    （If it is for justice, I would willingly sacrifice my life.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • While the variant 甘心情愿 (gān xīn qíng yuàn) exists, the form 心甘情愿 (xīn gān qíng yuàn) is much more common in modern Chinese.
  • The idiom is widely used across all levels of speech, from casual conversation to formal literature, especially when discussing deep emotional bonds like patriotism or parental love.
  • The inclusion of 心 (xīn) and 情 (qíng) signals that the action is not just a logical agreement, but one rooted in deep-seated passion or affection.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

心甘情愿 (xīn gān qíng yuàn) is a common idiom used to describe actions driven by the heart rather than external pressure. It is frequently used in contexts of devotion—such as a parent's sacrifice for a child or a person's dedication to a dream—where the individual finds fulfillment in the act itself, regardless of the difficulty involved.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

xīn gān qíng yuàn
心甘情愿
Willingly and Gladly
wǒ men我们zuò做shì qíng事情，tōng cháng通常dōu都huì会héng liáng衡量lì bì利弊。

When we do things, we usually weigh the pros and cons.

rú guǒ如果yī jiàn一件shì事hěn很lèi累、hěn很má fán麻烦，huò zhě或者yào要huā花hěn很duō多qián钱，lǐ zhì理智gào sù告诉wǒ men我们，zuì hǎo最好bú yào不要zuò做。

If something is exhausting, troublesome, or costs a lot of money, reason tells us it is best not to do it.

kě shì可是，shēng huó生活lǐ里zǒng总yǒu有yī xiē一些shí hòu时候，wǒ men我们huì会biàn dé变得hěn很bù不lǐ zhì理智。

However, there are always times in life when we become quite irrational.

míng míng明明lèi累dé得yào sǐ要死，què却jué de觉得hěn很kāi xīn开心；míng míng明明fù chū付出le了yī qiè一切，què却jué de觉得hěn很zhí de值得。

Even when we are tired to death, we feel happy; even when we have given everything, we feel it is worth it.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常gǎn xìng感性de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种xīn lǐ心理zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿”。

In Chinese, there is a very emotional idiom used specifically to describe this psychological state, called 心甘情愿.

zhè ge这个cí词de的zì miàn字面yì si意思hěn很měi美。

The literal meaning of this word is beautiful.

“xīn心”，shì是nèi xīn内心；“yuàn愿”，shì是yuàn yì愿意。

心 means the inner heart; 愿 means to be willing.

zhè这hěn很hǎo好lǐ jiě理解。

This is easy to understand.

zuì最miào妙de的shì是zhōng jiān中间nà ge那个“gān甘”zì字。

The most wonderful part is the character 甘 in the middle.

zài在zhōng wén中文lǐ里，“gān甘”de的yì si意思shì是“tián甜”。

In Chinese, 甘 means sweet.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语lián连qǐ lái起来de的yì si意思shì是：xīn lǐ心里jué de觉得shì是tián甜de的，qíng gǎn情感shàng上shì是wán quán完全yuàn yì愿意de的。

So, the meaning of this idiom when linked together is: the heart feels sweetness, and emotionally one is completely willing.

qǐng请zhù yì注意，wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常bú huì不会yòng用“xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿”qù去xíng róng形容nà xiē那些běn lái本来jiù就hěn很qīng sōng轻松、hěn很xiǎng shòu享受de的shì qíng事情。

Please note that we usually do not use 心甘情愿 to describe things that are inherently easy or enjoyable.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你bú huì不会shuō说“wǒ我xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿dì地chī吃le了yī dùn一顿dà cān大餐”，yīn wèi因为nà那běn lái本来jiù shì就是yī zhǒng一种xiǎng shòu享受。

For example, you wouldn't say "I ate a big meal 心甘情愿," because that is already a form of enjoyment.

xiāng fǎn相反，“xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿”wǎng wǎng往往chū xiàn出现zài在nà xiē那些——zài在wài rén外人kàn lái看来yǒu diǎn有点shǎ傻、yǒu diǎn有点kǔ苦、shèn zhì甚至yǒu diǎn有点chī kuī吃亏de的shì qíng事情shàng上。

On the contrary, 心甘情愿 often appears in situations that—to outsiders—seem a bit foolish, bitter, or even disadvantageous.

bǐ rú比如，wèi le为了kàn看yī cháng一场wǔ fēn zhōng五分钟de的rì chū日出，nǐ你zài在hán lěng寒冷de的shān dǐng山顶děng等le了yī zhěng yè一整夜；huò zhě或者，wèi le为了bāng帮péng yǒu朋友yí gè一个máng忙，nǐ你tuī diào推掉le了zì jǐ自己suǒ yǒu所有de的ān pái安排，pǎo跑le了hěn很yuǎn远de的lù路。

For instance, to see a five-minute sunrise, you wait all night on a freezing mountaintop; or, to help a friend, you cancel all your plans and travel a long distance.

zài在bié rén别人yǎn lǐ眼里，zhè这shì是xīn kǔ辛苦，shì是má fán麻烦。

In the eyes of others, this is hard work and trouble.

dàn但zài在nǐ你xīn lǐ心里，yīn wèi因为nà那shì是nǐ你zhēn zhèng真正xiǎng yào想要zuò做de的shì事，huò zhě或者zhēn zhèng真正xiǎng yào想要duì de qǐ对得起de的rén人，suǒ yǐ所以zhè这fèn份xīn kǔ辛苦，biàn chéng变成le了yī zhǒng一种“tián甜”。

But in your heart, because it is something you truly want to do or someone you truly want to be there for, this hardship turns into a kind of sweetness.

zhè这jiù shì就是“xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿”zuì最mí rén迷人de的dì fāng地方：tā它néng能bǎ把“dài jià代价”biàn chéng变成“lǐ wù礼物”。

This is the most charming part of 心甘情愿: it can turn a price into a gift.

rú guǒ如果yǒu rén有人qiǎng pò强迫nǐ你zuò做yī jiàn一件shì事，nǎ pà哪怕zhǐ shì只是jǔ shǒu zhī láo举手之劳，nǐ你yě也huì会jué de觉得xīn lǐ心里dǔ堵dé得huāng慌，nà那jiào叫“miǎn qiǎng勉强”。

If someone forces you to do something, even if it is just a small favor, you will feel stifled; that is called being forced.

kě可yí dàn一旦biàn chéng变成le了“xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿”，nǎ pà哪怕shì是jù dà巨大de的fù chū付出，nǐ你yě也huì会jué de觉得qīng yíng轻盈。

But once it becomes 心甘情愿, even a huge sacrifice will feel light.

zài在chéng nián rén成年人de的shì jiè世界lǐ里，wǒ men我们jīng cháng经常yào要zuò做hěn很duō多“bù dé bù不得不zuò做”de的shì事。

In the adult world, we often have to do many things we have no choice but to do.

dàn但zhēn zhèng真正de的xìng fú幸福gǎn感，wǎng wǎng往往lái zì来自yú于nà xiē那些wǒ men我们“xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿”qù去zuò做de的shì事。

But true happiness often comes from the things we do 心甘情愿.

tā它dài biǎo代表le了wǒ men我们duì对zì jǐ自己shēng huó生活de的zhǎng kòng掌控quán权。

It represents our control over our own lives.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你wèi le为了mǒu某gè rén个人、huò zhě或者mǒu gè某个mèng xiǎng梦想，zhèng zài正在zuò做yī jiàn一件hěn很shǎ傻、hěn很lèi累de的shì qíng事情shí时，rú guǒ如果yǒu rén有人wèn问nǐ你：“zhí de值得ma吗？”

So, next time you are doing something foolish or exhausting for someone or a dream, if someone asks you, "Is it worth it?"

nǐ你yě xǔ也许kě yǐ可以xiào笑zhe着huí dá回答：“méi bàn fǎ没办法，wǒ我xīn gān qíng yuàn心甘情愿。”

You might smile and answer, "I can't help it, I am 心甘情愿."

yīn wèi因为zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上，qiān jīn nán mǎi千金难买wǒ我yuàn yì愿意。

Because in this world, no amount of money can buy my willingness.

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