qíngxù: 情绪 - Emotion, Mood, State of Mind

• Keywords: 情绪, qíngxù, Chinese emotion, Chinese mood, qingxu meaning, how to say emotion in Chinese, Chinese feelings, emotional state in Chinese, 心情, 感情, Chinese culture and emotions.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 情绪 (qíngxù), meaning emotion, mood, or one's general state of mind. This page breaks down the characters, explores its deep cultural significance in China (including its link to traditional medicine), and provides practical examples. Understand the crucial difference between 情绪 (qíngxù), 心情 (xīnqíng), and 感情 (gǎnqíng) to avoid common mistakes and speak more naturally about feelings in Mandarin.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qíngxù
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A person's overall emotional state, mood, or feelings.
• In a Nutshell: 情绪 (qíngxù) is the general, overarching term for “emotion.” Think of it as your emotional weather—it can be stable or unstable, good or bad. While other words describe a specific mood or a deep feeling for someone, 情绪 refers to the general condition of your feelings at a given time, often with a slightly clinical or psychological overtone.

• 情 (qíng): This character is all about feelings and emotions. Its left side, the “heart radical” (心), clearly indicates that it relates to matters of the heart and mind. It appears in words like “love” (爱情, àiqíng) and “feeling” (感情, gǎnqíng).
• 绪 (xù): This character originally meant the end of a thread of silk (the 纟 radical means “silk”). By extension, it came to mean a continuous thread, a state, or a mood. It suggests something that is continuous, complex, and can get tangled—much like our emotions.

When combined, 情绪 (qíngxù) literally means the “thread of feeling,” a powerful image for the continuous and often complicated nature of our emotional state.

In Chinese culture, the management of 情绪 (qíngxù) is deeply important and differs significantly from many Western cultures. Traditionally, Chinese culture values social harmony (和谐, héxié) and emotional restraint. Publicly displaying strong 情绪, especially negative ones like anger or intense sadness, can be seen as immature, disruptive, and causing a loss of “face” (面子, miànzi). The ideal is often to remain calm and composed (冷静, lěngjìng), especially in public or professional settings. This contrasts with some Western norms where open emotional expression is often encouraged as a sign of authenticity. Furthermore, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), 情绪 is not just mental but directly linked to physical health. The “Seven Emotions” (七情, qī qíng) are believed to directly impact organ function. For example:

• Anger (怒, nù) injures the liver.
• Excessive joy (喜, xǐ) injures the heart.
• Worry (思, sī) injures the spleen.
• Sadness (悲, bēi) injures the lungs.
• Fear (恐, kǒng) injures the kidneys.

Therefore, maintaining stable 情绪 (情绪稳定, qíngxù wěndìng) is considered essential for a long and healthy life.

情绪 is a common word used in various contexts, from daily conversation to professional psychology.

• Neutral/Clinical Use: It's often used in a neutral or objective way to describe an emotional state. For example, a doctor might ask about a patient's emotional state, or a news report might discuss the public's 情绪.
• Negative Connotation: In daily conversation, saying someone “有情绪 (yǒu qíngxù)” (lit. “has emotions”) often implies they are in a bad mood, sulking, or being difficult. Similarly, calling someone “情绪化 (qíngxùhuà)” means they are “moody” or “overly emotional,” which is generally not a compliment.
• Positive/Negative States: You can easily describe the quality of one's 情绪 with adjectives. For example, “情绪很好 (qíngxù hěn hǎo)” means “in a good mood,” while “情绪低落 (qíngxù dīluò)” means “in low spirits.”

• Example 1:
• 他最近工作压力很大，情绪不太稳定。
• Pinyin: Tā zuìjìn gōngzuò yālì hěn dà, qíngxù bú tài wěndìng.
• English: He's been under a lot of work pressure lately, and his emotional state isn't very stable.
• Analysis: This is a classic, slightly formal use of 情绪. It describes a general state over a period of time, not just a fleeting mood.
• Example 2:
• 别理他，他今天有点儿情绪。
• Pinyin: Bié lǐ tā, tā jīntiān yǒudiǎnr qíngxù.
• English: Don't mind him, he's in a bit of a mood today.
• Analysis: Here, 有情绪 (yǒu qíngxù) is used informally to mean someone is sulky or in a bad mood. It carries a negative connotation.
• Example 3:
• 音乐可以帮助我们放松，缓和情绪。
• Pinyin: Yīnyuè kěyǐ bāngzhù wǒmen fàngsōng, huǎnhé qíngxù.
• English: Music can help us relax and soothe our emotions.
• Analysis: This example shows 情绪 as a general concept that can be managed or influenced.
• Example 4:
• 考完试，大家情绪高涨，决定去庆祝一下。
• Pinyin: Kǎo wán shì, dàjiā qíngxù gāozhǎng, juédìng qù qìngzhù yíxià.
• English: After finishing the exam, everyone was in high spirits and decided to go celebrate.
• Analysis: 情绪高涨 (qíngxù gāozhǎng) is a set phrase meaning “in high spirits” or “elated,” showing that 情绪 can also be positive.
• Example 5:
• 领导需要学会管理团队的情绪。
• Pinyin: Lǐngdǎo xūyào xuéhuì guǎnlǐ tuánduì de qíngxù.
• English: A leader needs to learn how to manage the team's morale.
• Analysis: In a business context, 情绪 can translate to “morale” or “sentiment.”
• Example 6:
• 她的情绪波动很大，一会儿哭一会儿笑。
• Pinyin: Tā de qíngxù bōdòng hěn dà, yíhuìr kū yíhuìr xiào.
• English: Her emotions fluctuate a lot; one minute she's crying, the next she's laughing.
• Analysis: 情绪波动 (qíngxù bōdòng) means “emotional fluctuation” or “mood swing.”
• Example 7:
• 听到这个坏消息，他的情绪一下子就低落了。
• Pinyin: Tīngdào zhège huài xiāoxi, tā de qíngxù yíxiàzi jiù dīluò le.
• English: Upon hearing the bad news, his spirits sank immediately.
• Analysis: 情绪低落 (qíngxù dīluò) is a common collocation for feeling down, depressed, or being in low spirits.
• Example 8:
• 你要学会控制自己的情绪，不要随便发脾气。
• Pinyin: Nǐ yào xuéhuì kòngzhì zìjǐ de qíngxù, búyào suíbiàn fā píqì.
• English: You need to learn to control your emotions and not lose your temper so easily.
• Analysis: This sentence directly reflects the cultural value of emotional control. 控制情绪 (kòngzhì qíngxù) is a very common phrase.
• Example 9:
• 这件事严重影响了我的情绪。
• Pinyin: Zhè jiàn shì yánzhòng yǐngxiǎngle wǒ de qíngxù.
• English: This matter seriously affected my emotional state.
• Analysis: A good example showing how external events can impact one's 情绪.
• Example 10:
• 心理医生帮助他处理情绪问题。
• Pinyin: Xīnlǐ yīshēng bāngzhù tā chǔlǐ qíngxù wèntí.
• English: The psychologist helped him deal with his emotional problems.
• Analysis: This shows the clinical, psychological use of the term. 情绪问题 (qíngxù wèntí) means “emotional problems.”

The biggest challenge for learners is distinguishing 情绪 from two similar words: 心情 (xīnqíng) and 感情 (gǎnqíng).

• 情绪 (qíngxù) vs. 心情 (xīnqíng) - Emotion vs. Mood
  • 心情 (xīnqíng) means “mood.” It's more personal, temporary, and common in daily speech to describe how you feel *right now*. “My mood today is great!” is 我今天心情很好! (Wǒ jīntiān xīnqíng hěn hǎo!).
  • 情绪 (qíngxù) is a broader, more stable “emotional state.” It can sound more formal or clinical. While you can say 情绪很好, it's less common for describing a simple good mood than 心情很好. 情绪 is better for describing a general pattern (e.g., “His emotional state has been unstable recently”).
• 情绪 (qíngxù) vs. 感情 (gǎnqíng) - State vs. Affection
  • This is a “false friend” trap. Both can be translated as “feeling,” but they are not interchangeable.
  • 感情 (gǎnqíng) refers to deep, long-term feelings of affection, attachment, or the bond between people. It's about connection.
  • 情绪 (qíngxù) is a temporary emotional state or mood.
  • Incorrect: ~~我对我的家人有很深的情绪。~~ (I have a deep qíngxù for my family.) This sounds like you're in a constant, moody state about your family.
  • Correct: 我对我的家人有很深的感情。 (Wǒ duì wǒ de jiārén yǒu hěn shēn de gǎnqíng.) (I have deep feelings/affection for my family.)

• 心情 (xīnqíng) - “Mood.” More personal and temporary than 情绪. Describes how you feel right now.
• 感情 (gǎnqíng) - “Feeling, affection, bond.” Deeper, long-term feelings between people.
• 感觉 (gǎnjué) - “A feeling, a sensation; to feel.” Can be a physical sensation (e.g., feeling cold) or a vague emotional intuition.
• 情绪化 (qíngxùhuà) - “Emotional, moody.” An adjective, usually with a negative connotation, describing someone whose emotions are unstable.
• 心态 (xīntài) - “Mindset, mentality.” Refers to one's attitude, outlook, or way of thinking, which is related to but distinct from emotion.
• 冷静 (lěngjìng) - “Calm, composed.” The culturally valued state of having one's 情绪 under control.
• 稳定 (wěndìng) - “Stable.” An adjective often used to describe 情绪 (e.g., 情绪稳定).
• 低落 (dīluò) - “Downcast, low.” An adjective used with 情绪 to mean “in low spirits” (e.g., 情绪低落).
• 发脾气 (fā píqì) - “To lose one's temper.” A specific, outward display of negative 情绪.
• 控制 (kòngzhì) - “To control.” Frequently used with 情绪, as in 控制情绪.