tóngqíng: 同情 - Sympathy, Compassion

• Keywords: tongqing, tóngqíng, 同情, sympathy in Chinese, compassion in Chinese, how to say sympathy in Mandarin, pity in Chinese, Chinese empathy, 同情 vs 可怜, 同情心, HSK 4 vocabulary
• Summary for Search Engines: Learn the true meaning of 同情 (tóngqíng), the Chinese word for sympathy and compassion. This guide explores its cultural nuances, character origins, and practical usage with 10 example sentences. Understand the critical difference between 同情 (sympathy) and 可怜 (pity) to avoid common mistakes and communicate more naturally in Mandarin.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): tóngqíng
• Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To feel or show sympathy or compassion for someone's misfortune.
• In a Nutshell: 同情 (tóngqíng) is the feeling of understanding and sharing in someone's suffering. It's about recognizing another person's hardship and feeling for them. Think of it as “feeling with” someone, rather than “feeling sorry for” them. It's a common and expected human response to seeing others in difficult situations.

• 同 (tóng): This character means “same,” “alike,” or “together.” Its ancient form depicts a covered container and a mouth, suggesting people coming together to speak with one voice or agree on something.
• 情 (qíng): This character means “feeling,” “emotion,” or “sentiment.” It is composed of the heart radical (忄) on the left, indicating it's related to feelings, and 青 (qīng) on the right, which primarily provides the phonetic sound.

When combined, 同情 (tóngqíng) literally translates to “same feeling.” This beautifully captures the essence of the word: to share the same emotional response to a difficult situation as the person experiencing it.

In Chinese culture, expressing 同情 (tóngqíng) is a fundamental part of social connection and demonstrating human decency (人情味, rénqíngwèi). It aligns with the collective value of being aware of and responsive to the well-being of others in your community. The most important cultural distinction for an English speaker to grasp is the difference between 同情 (tóngqíng) and the Western concept of “pity.” While “sympathy” is a close translation for 同情, the Chinese word 可怜 (kělián) is much closer to “pity.”

• 同情 (tóngqíng) vs. Pity: In English, the line between sympathy and pity can be blurry. In Chinese, the line is much sharper. Feeling `同情` for someone is an expression of shared humanity and understanding. It's a connection between equals. In contrast, feeling someone is `可怜` (pitiable, pathetic) often implies a power dynamic; the person feeling pity is in a superior position looking down on the sufferer. While you can say “我同情你” (I sympathize with you), telling someone “你很可怜” (You are so pitiful) can be deeply insulting.

Expressing 同情 is seen as a virtue, a sign that you are a compassionate and understanding person. It's the emotional foundation that often leads to actions like 安慰 (comforting) or 帮助 (helping).

同情 is a versatile word used in both formal and informal contexts.

• As a Verb: It is most commonly used as a verb meaning “to sympathize with.”
• `我同情他的遭遇。` (Wǒ tóngqíng tā de zāoyù.) - I sympathize with his plight.
• As a Noun (with 心): To talk about the quality of being sympathetic, Chinese speakers almost always add `心 (xīn)`, meaning “heart,” to create the noun 同情心 (tóngqíng xīn), “a heart of sympathy” or “compassion.”
• `他是一个很有同情心的人。` (Tā shì yí ge hěn yǒu tóngqíng xīn de rén.) - He is a very compassionate person.

You will hear and see 同情 used frequently in news reports about disasters, in discussions about social issues, or simply in conversations between friends when one is sharing a personal hardship.

• Example 1:
• 我非常同情那些在地震中失去家园的人。
• Pinyin: Wǒ fēicháng tóngqíng nàxiē zài dìzhèn zhōng shīqù jiāyuán de rén.
• English: I feel great sympathy for the people who lost their homes in the earthquake.
• Analysis: A common and standard use of 同情 to express sympathy for victims of a tragedy.
• Example 2:
• 虽然我不赞同他的决定，但我同情他的处境。
• Pinyin: Suīrán wǒ bú zàntóng tā de juédìng, dàn wǒ tóngqíng tā de chǔjìng.
• English: Although I don't agree with his decision, I sympathize with his situation.
• Analysis: This shows that you can separate a person's actions from their circumstances, sympathizing with one but not the other.
• Example 3:
• 他是一个有同情心的医生，总是耐心听病人说话。
• Pinyin: Tā shì yí ge yǒu tóngqíng xīn de yīshēng, zǒngshì nàixīn tīng bìngrén shuōhuà.
• English: He is a compassionate doctor who always listens patiently to his patients.
• Analysis: Here, 同情心 (tóngqíng xīn) is used as a noun to describe a person's character trait.
• Example 4:
• 别用那种眼神看我，我不需要你的同情。
• Pinyin: Bié yòng nà zhǒng yǎnshén kàn wǒ, wǒ bù xūyào nǐ de tóngqíng.
• English: Don't look at me with that kind of expression; I don't need your sympathy.
• Analysis: Shows that receiving sympathy can sometimes feel unwanted, especially if the person wants to feel strong and independent.
• Example 5:
• 他对穷人没有任何同情。
• Pinyin: Tā duì qióngrén méiyǒu rènhé tóngqíng.
• English: He has no sympathy whatsoever for the poor.
• Analysis: This sentence uses `对 (duì)` to specify the object of sympathy. `对 [someone] 同情` is a common structure.
• Example 6:
• 看到小狗在雨中发抖，她充满了同情。
• Pinyin: Kàndào xiǎo gǒu zài yǔzhōng fādǒu, tā chōngmǎn le tóngqíng.
• English: Seeing the little dog trembling in the rain, she was filled with sympathy.
• Analysis: The phrase `充满了 (chōngmǎn le)` means “filled with,” emphasizing the strength of the emotion.
• Example 7:
• 他的故事赢得了大家的同情。
• Pinyin: Tā de gùshi yíngdéle dàjiā de tóngqíng.
• English: His story won everyone's sympathy.
• Analysis: `赢得 (yíngdé)` means “to win” or “to earn.” Sympathy can be “won” through a moving story.
• Example 8:
• 我一点也不同情他，这都是他自找的。
• Pinyin: Wǒ yìdiǎn yě bù tóngqíng tā, zhè dōu shì tā zì zhǎo de.
• English: I don't sympathize with him at all; he brought this all upon himself.
• Analysis: `一点也 (yìdiǎn yě)` is a common way to strongly negate something, meaning “not even a little bit.”
• Example 9:
• 你难道不同情这位单身母亲的困难吗？
• Pinyin: Nǐ nándào bù tóngqíng zhè wèi dānshēn mǔqīn de kùnnan ma?
• English: Don't you sympathize with this single mother's difficulties?
• Analysis: The rhetorical question marker `难道 (nándào)` adds a tone of surprise or disbelief that someone might *not* feel sympathy.
• Example 10:
• 出于同情，邻居们给他送来了一些食物。
• Pinyin: Chūyú tóngqíng, línjūmen gěi tā sòng lái le yìxiē shíwù.
• English: Out of sympathy, the neighbors brought him some food.
• Analysis: `出于 (chūyú)` means “out of” or “stemming from,” explaining the motivation for an action.

• Mistake #1: Confusing 同情 (tóngqíng) with 可怜 (kělián)
• This is the most critical mistake to avoid.
• 同情 (tóngqíng) = Sympathy (I understand your pain). It's a connection.
• 可怜 (kělián) = Pity (You poor thing). It implies a distance and often a sense of superiority.
• Incorrect: 看到他考试又不及格，我觉得他很同情。 (Kàndào tā kǎoshì yòu bù jígé, wǒ juéde tā hěn tóngqíng.)
• Reason: This is grammatically wrong. You can't say someone “is very sympathy.” You should use `可怜` to describe his state, or say you *feel* `同情` for him.
• Correct 1 (Pity): 看到他考试又不及格，我觉得他很可怜。 (…I think he's really pitiful.)
• Correct 2 (Sympathy): 看到他考试又不及格，我很同情他。(…I really sympathize with him.)
• Mistake #2: Using it for Positive Situations
• Like “sympathy” in English, 同情 is exclusively used for negative situations, misfortune, or suffering. You cannot “sympathize” with someone's good fortune.
• Incorrect: 你中了彩票，我真同情你！ (Nǐ zhòngle cǎipiào, wǒ zhēn tóngqíng nǐ!)
• Correct: 你中了彩票，我真为你高兴！(Nǐ zhòngle cǎipiào, wǒ zhēn wèi nǐ gāoxìng!) - I'm so happy for you!

• 可怜 (kělián) - Pity; feeling sorry for someone, often implying they are in a pathetic or helpless state. The key contrast to `同情`.
• 同情心 (tóngqíng xīn) - The noun for compassion or a sympathetic nature. Literally “sympathy-heart.”
• 共情 (gòngqíng) - Empathy. A more clinical or psychological term. It means to deeply understand and share the feelings of another as if they are your own. It's a deeper connection than `同情`.
• 安慰 (ānwèi) - To comfort or console. This is the action one often takes after feeling `同情`.
• 怜悯 (liánmǐn) - A more formal or literary word for pity, compassion, or mercy.
• 支持 (zhīchí) - To support (emotionally or physically). An action that can be motivated by `同情`.
• 理解 (lǐjiě) - To understand. A logical or cognitive grasp of a situation, which is often a prerequisite for genuine `同情`.
• 不幸 (búxìng) - Unfortunate; misfortune. Describes the type of event or situation that elicits `同情`.