xīnqíng: 心情 - Mood, State of Mind

• Keywords: xinqing, 心情, Chinese word for mood, state of mind in Chinese, feeling in Chinese, how to say I'm in a good mood in Chinese, 心情好, 心情不好, Chinese emotions, HSK 3 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 心情 (xīnqíng), which means 'mood' or 'state of mind'. This guide breaks down its cultural meaning, shows you how to use it in daily conversation like '我心情不好' (I'm in a bad mood), and compares it to similar words like 情绪 (qíngxù) and 感觉 (gǎnjué). Master 心情 to express your inner feelings accurately in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xīnqíng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: A person's mood or overall emotional state at a particular time.
• In a Nutshell: 心情 (xīnqíng) is the go-to word in Chinese for “mood.” It describes your general inner feeling over a period—whether you're feeling good, bad, down, or complex. Think of it as the emotional weather inside you. It's less about a fleeting, momentary emotion (like a sudden laugh) and more about your underlying state of mind for the hour, the day, or even longer.

• 心 (xīn): This character means “heart.” It's one of the most fundamental characters in Chinese and is a pictograph of a human heart. In Chinese culture, the heart is considered the center of both emotions and thought.
• 情 (qíng): This character means “feeling,” “emotion,” or “passion.” It's a combination of the “heart” radical (忄, a variant of 心) on the left and a phonetic component 青 (qīng) on the right.
• The two characters combine to literally mean “the heart's feelings” or “the state of the heart,” which perfectly describes the internal, personal nature of one's mood.

In Chinese culture, 心情 (xīnqíng) is often viewed as a more holistic and significant state than the English word “mood.” It's not just a fleeting feeling but a reflection of one's inner harmony and balance, a concept deeply rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and philosophy. The character 心 (xīn) represents the “heart-mind,” the seat of consciousness, thought, and emotion. Therefore, your 心情 is a direct indicator of your overall well-being. A good 心情 contributes to good health, and vice-versa. Compared to the Western concept of “mood,” which can sometimes be seen as purely psychological or even chemical, 心情 feels more integrated with one's whole being. This is reflected in phrases like 调整心情 (tiáozhěng xīnqíng), meaning “to adjust one's mood.” This phrase implies a conscious, deliberate effort to cultivate a better inner state, much like tuning an instrument. It's a form of self-cultivation, a small but significant act of maintaining personal balance and harmony, which are highly valued in Chinese culture.

心情 is a very common and versatile word used in all sorts of daily situations.

• Asking About Someone's Mood: It's common to ask about someone's mood if they seem down or unusually quiet.
  • `你今天心情怎么样？` (Nǐ jīntiān xīnqíng zěnmeyàng?) - How's your mood today?
  • `你看上去不太对劲，心情不好吗？` (Nǐ kàn shàngqù bù tài duìjìn, xīnqíng bù hǎo ma?) - You don't seem yourself, are you in a bad mood?
• Describing Your Own Mood: This is the most frequent usage.
  • Positive: `我心情很好！` (Wǒ xīnqíng hěn hǎo!) - I'm in a great mood!
  • Negative: `别烦我，我心情很差。` (Bié fán wǒ, wǒ xīnqíng hěn chà.) - Don't bother me, I'm in a terrible mood.
  • Complex: `毕业那天，我心情很复杂。` (Bìyè nàtiān, wǒ xīnqíng hěn fùzá.) - On graduation day, I had mixed feelings.
• Explaining Your (In)actions: You can use your mood as a reason for not wanting to do something.
  • `我没心情吃饭。` (Wǒ méi xīnqíng chīfàn.) - I'm in no mood to eat.
  • `他现在有心情开玩笑了。` (Tā xiànzài yǒu xīnqíng kāiwánxiào le.) - He's in the mood to joke around now.

• Example 1:
  • 今天天气很好，我的心情也特别好。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān tiānqì hěn hǎo, wǒ de xīnqíng yě tèbié hǎo.
  • English: The weather is great today, so I'm in an especially good mood.
  • Analysis: This shows a simple, direct link between external circumstances (good weather) and one's internal mood.
• Example 2:
  • 他今天考试没考好，所以心情很差。
  • Pinyin: Tā jīntiān kǎoshì méi kǎo hǎo, suǒyǐ xīnqíng hěn chà.
  • English: He didn't do well on his exam today, so he's in a very bad mood.
  • Analysis: A classic cause-and-effect sentence. Note the use of 很差 (hěn chà - very bad/poor) to describe a negative mood.
• Example 3:
  • 我失恋了，现在没心情跟你开玩笑。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ shīliàn le, xiànzài méi xīnqíng gēn nǐ kāiwánxiào.
  • English: I just broke up with someone, I'm in no mood to joke with you right now.
  • Analysis: The structure `没心情 + [verb]` is extremely common and directly translates to “in no mood to [do something].”
• Example 4:
  • 这个坏消息严重影响了大家的心情。
  • Pinyin: Zhège huài xiāoxī yánzhòng yǐngxiǎng le dàjiā de xīnqíng.
  • English: This bad news seriously affected everyone's mood.
  • Analysis: Here, 心情 is the object of the verb `影响 (yǐngxiǎng - to influence/affect)`.
• Example 5:
  • 毕业的时候，我的心情很复杂，又开心又舍不得。
  • Pinyin: Bìyè de shíhòu, wǒ de xīnqíng hěn fùzá, yòu kāixīn yòu shěbude.
  • English: At graduation, my feelings were very complex; I was both happy and reluctant to leave.
  • Analysis: 心情 isn't just “good” or “bad.” It can be `复杂 (fùzá - complex)`, perfectly capturing mixed emotions.
• Example 6:
  • 我们出去散散步，换一个心情吧。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen chūqù sàn sànbù, huàn yīgè xīnqíng ba.
  • English: Let's go out for a walk and change our mood.
  • Analysis: `换个心情 (huàn ge xīnqíng)` is a fantastic set phrase meaning “to get a change of scenery/mood.” It literally means “to change a mood.”
• Example 7:
  • 因为心情不好，他一整天都没怎么说话。
  • Pinyin: Yīnwèi xīnqíng bù hǎo, tā yī zhěng tiān dōu méi zěnme shuōhuà.
  • English: Because he was in a bad mood, he barely said anything all day.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates using one's mood as a justification or reason for a certain behavior.
• Example 8:
  • 她的心情就像六月的天气，说变就变。
  • Pinyin: Tā de xīnqíng jiù xiàng liù yuè de tiānqì, shuō biàn jiù biàn.
  • English: Her mood is like the weather in June—it changes in an instant.
  • Analysis: A vivid simile. The idiom `说 + [verb] + 就 + [verb]` means something happens very suddenly or easily.
• Example 9:
  • 在重要比赛前，运动员需要调整好自己的心情。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhòngyào bǐsài qián, yùndòngyuán xūyào tiáozhěng hǎo zìjǐ de xīnqíng.
  • English: Before an important match, athletes need to adjust their state of mind properly.
  • Analysis: This highlights the “self-cultivation” aspect mentioned in the cultural section. `调整 (tiáozhěng)` means “to adjust/regulate.”
• Example 10:
  • 看到孩子们天真的笑容，我的心情一下子就好起来了。
  • Pinyin: Kàndào háizimen tiānzhēn de xiàoróng, wǒ de xīnqíng yīxiàzi jiù hǎo qǐlái le.
  • English: Seeing the children's innocent smiles, my mood immediately brightened up.
  • Analysis: `好起来 (hǎo qǐlái)` means “to get better” or “to improve.” `一下子 (yīxiàzi)` emphasizes the suddenness of the change.

Beginners often confuse 心情 with other words related to feelings. Here are the key distinctions:

• 心情 (xīnqíng) vs. 感觉 (gǎnjué): This is a crucial difference.
  • 心情 is your overall, internal mood or state of mind. (e.g., “I'm in a good mood.”)
  • 感觉 (gǎnjué) is a direct feeling, sensation, or perception. It can be physical (“I feel cold”), emotional (“I feel sad”), or an impression (“I feel like he's a good person”).
  • Incorrect: `我感觉很心情。` (Wǒ gǎnjué hěn xīnqíng.) This is grammatically wrong.
  • Correct: `我心情不好。` (Wǒ xīnqíng bù hǎo.) - My mood is bad.
  • Correct: `我感觉很难过。` (Wǒ gǎnjué hěn nánguò.) - I feel very sad.
• 心情 (xīnqíng) vs. 情绪 (qíngxù):
  • 心情 is the common, everyday word for “mood.”
  • 情绪 (qíngxù) means “emotions,” “feelings,” or “morale.” It often implies a more intense, less stable emotional state. It's also used in more formal or psychological contexts. For example, `情绪失控 (qíngxù shīkòng)` means “to lose control of one's emotions.” For everyday chat, stick with 心情.
• 心情 (xīnqíng) vs. Specific Emotions (开心, 难过):
  • Think of 心情 as the container and words like `开心 (kāixīn - happy)` or `难过 (nánguò - sad)` as the contents. Your mood (心情) can be “good” (好), which results in you feeling happy (开心).
  • Example: `因为我心情好，所以我很开心。` (Yīnwèi wǒ xīnqíng hǎo, suǒyǐ wǒ hěn kāixīn.) - Because I'm in a good mood, I am very happy.

• 情绪 (qíngxù) - Emotions, morale. Often implies more volatile or clinical feelings than 心情.
• 感觉 (gǎnjué) - A feeling, sensation, or the act of feeling/sensing. More immediate and specific than a mood.
• 感情 (gǎnqíng) - Emotion, feeling, affection; often refers to the emotional bond between people (e.g., in a relationship).
• 心态 (xīntài) - Mindset, mentality. Refers to a more stable, long-term attitude or outlook on life, whereas 心情 is more temporary.
• 气氛 (qìfēn) - Atmosphere, ambiance. This is the “mood” of a place or a situation, not a person.
• 开心 (kāixīn) - Happy, joyful. A specific feeling that contributes to a good 心情.
• 难过 (nánguò) - Sad, upset. A specific feeling that contributes to a bad 心情.
• 心事 (xīnshì) - Something weighing on one's mind; a worry or preoccupation that affects one's 心情.
• 心疼 (xīnténg) - To love dearly; to feel sorry for someone; to feel a pang of distress for someone/something. A specific feeling related to the “heart.”