感 simplified
感 traditional · same
gǎn
to feel · to sense · to be moved · to perceive inwardly
部首 bùshǒu · 心 xīn heart 13 笔画 bǐhuà strokes HSK 2–4 tone 3 · gǎn
笔顺 bǐshùn · Stroke order

Click the character to replay. Press Try drawing to write it yourself.

字源 zìyuán Etymology & Structure
字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight

感 gǎn = 咸 xián (all; universal; reaching everywhere) + 心 xīn (heart). The oracle-bone form of 咸 depicts a battle-axe striking a mouth — a sound that reaches all ears. Placed above 心, the compound becomes: that which the heart universally resonates with. This is why 感 covers such vast emotional terrain: sensation, gratitude, inspiration, contagion — all are versions of the heart being struck and vibrating.

In Japanese, the same character is read kan — 感じる kanjiru "to feel," 感謝 kansha "gratitude," 感動 kandō "being moved." The semantic field maps with near-perfect fidelity, making 感 one of the most powerful Sino-Japanese anchors for learners of both languages.

The cosmological logic runs deeper still: in classical Chinese thought, the universe operates through 感应 gǎnyìng — sympathetic resonance. Heaven feels human affairs and responds; humans feel Heaven's movements. Every 感-word is a different shape that resonance takes.

构词 gòucí Word-Formation Patterns
构词规律 gòucí guīlǜ · Three Templates 感 + verb/noun → 感谢 feel-thanks · 感动 feel-moved · 感叹 feel-exclaim
感 + perception → 感觉 gut awareness · 感受 lived experience · 感知 perceptual cognition
X + 感 → 安全感 sense-of-security · 幸福感 sense-of-happiness · 使命感 sense-of-mission
感知 gǎnzhī Core Perception Verbs
感到 gǎn dào to feel; to register a state
V 动词 dòngcí
感 gǎn (feel) + 到 dào (arrive at · result marker). The 到 is a resultative complement — it signals the feeling has landed, been registered as a completed state. The most neutral, all-purpose feeling verb. Almost always takes an adjectival or clausal complement.
我感到很疲惫。
Wǒ gǎndào hěn píbèi.
I feel very exhausted.
他感到一阵寒意。
Tā gǎndào yī zhèn hányì.
He felt a sudden chill.
我感到一切都变了。
Wǒ gǎndào yīqiè dōu biàn le.
I feel that everything has changed.
语法 yǔfǎ · Grammar Pattern: 感到 + adj / noun phrase / clause. Examples: 感到骄傲 proud · 感到难受 unwell · 感到惊讶 surprised. Register: neutral — works in speech and writing equally. More objective in flavor than 感觉.
感觉 gǎnjué feeling; impression; to feel (V & N)
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 觉 jué (to awaken; become aware — originally: waking from sleep, the first moment of consciousness). Dual-category word — functions as both verb and noun. The most flexible word in the 感 family. Covers gut feeling, subjective impression, intuition.
这种感觉很奇妙。
Zhè zhǒng gǎnjué hěn qímiào.
This feeling is wonderful. [noun use]
我感觉他不太高兴。
Wǒ gǎnjué tā bù tài gāoxìng.
I get the sense he's not very happy. [verb use]
感觉有点不对劲。
Gǎnjué yǒudiǎn bú duìjìn.
Something feels off. [colloquial drop-subject]
辨析 biànxī · Comparison of the Four 感觉 = subjective impression, includes gut feeling. 感到 = registering a more objective state (resultative). 感受 gǎnshòu (feel + 受 receive) = deeper, embodied, reflective experience — art, travel, introspection. 感知 gǎnzhī (feel + 知 know) = perceptual cognition, academic register.
感受 gǎnshòu lived experience; to experience deeply
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 受 shòu (to receive; to undergo; to be a recipient). Something comes to you and is taken in. Emphasizes the experiential process, not just the end-state — richer and more embodied than 感觉. Common in art criticism, travel writing, and introspective prose.
你有什么感受？
Nǐ yǒu shénme gǎnshòu?
What is your experience of this? What do you feel?
我想感受大自然的美丽。
Wǒ xiǎng gǎnshòu dàzìrán de měilì.
I want to experience the beauty of nature.
感知 gǎnzhī perceptual cognition; to perceive
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 知 zhī (to know; cognition). Perception as an act of knowing — the full cycle from sensation to understanding. The most formal and academic of the four.
感知觉是心理学的基础概念。
Gǎnzhījué shì xīnlǐxué de jīchǔ gàiniàn.
Perception and awareness are foundational concepts in psychology.
天人感应是中国古代哲学的核心概念。
Tiān rén gǎnyìng shì Zhōngguó gǔdài zhéxué de héxīn gàiniàn.
Heaven-human resonance is a core concept of ancient Chinese philosophy.
语域 yǔyù · Register Academic and formal. Appears in psychology (感知觉 gǎnzhījué), cognitive science, and classical philosophy. In ordinary speech, 感觉 covers this ground.
感恩 gǎn'ēn Gratitude & Thanks — a spectrum
谢谢 → 感谢 → 感激 → 感恩 · The Gratitude Gradient 谢谢 xièxie (casual, spoken) → 感谢 gǎnxiè (sincere, formal) → 感激 gǎnjī (deep, emotionally indebted) → 感恩 gǎn'ēn (Confucian virtue — honoring all grace received)
感谢 gǎnxiè to thank sincerely; gratitude (formal)
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 谢 xiè (to thank; originally: water overflowing — pouring out one's feelings). Warmer and more sincere than 谢谢. Standard in writing, speeches, and formal situations. Also functions as a noun in 表示感谢.
感谢您的帮助！
Gǎnxiè nín de bāngzhù!
Thank you sincerely for your help!
感谢你来。
Gǎnxiè nǐ lái.
Thank you for coming.
请允许我表示感谢。
Qǐng yǔnxǔ wǒ biǎoshì gǎnxiè.
Please allow me to express my gratitude. [noun use]
语法 yǔfǎ · Grammar Pattern: 感谢 + person + verb phrase: 感谢你来 "thank you for coming." As noun: 表示感谢 biǎoshì gǎnxiè "to express gratitude."
感激 gǎnjī deeply grateful; moved by another's kindness
V 动词 dòngcí
感 gǎn + 激 jī (to stir; to agitate; rapids — turbulent water). The heart stirred up by a significant kindness. Implies emotional debt that moves you. Stronger than 感谢; use for meaningful help, not everyday thanks.
我非常感激你在我最难的时候帮助我。
Wǒ fēicháng gǎnjī nǐ zài wǒ zuì nán de shíhòu bāngzhù wǒ.
I'm deeply grateful you helped me in my hardest time.
成语 chéngyǔ · Idiom 感激涕零 gǎnjī tì líng — "gratitude so deep that tears fall." 涕零 = tears streaming down the face. Classical idiom for overwhelming thankfulness.
感恩 gǎn'ēn to honor all grace received; gratitude as virtue
V 动词 dòngcí
感 gǎn + 恩 ēn (grace; benevolence — the kindness of parents, teachers, heaven). A Confucian virtue, not merely an emotion. Recognizing and honoring all goodness received throughout one's life. The deepest gratitude word.
我们应该感恩父母的养育之恩。
Wǒmen yīnggāi gǎn'ēn fùmǔ de yǎngyù zhī ēn.
We should be grateful for the grace of our parents' upbringing.
文化 wénhuà · Culture 感恩节 Gǎn'ēnjié = Thanksgiving. The character 恩 ēn appears in: 恩人 ēnrén benefactor · 恩情 ēnqíng kindness-bond · 忘恩负义 wàng'ēn fùyì "ungrateful" (lit. forget-grace-betray-duty).
感动 gǎndòng Being Moved, Touched & Stirred
感动 gǎndòng to be moved; to touch someone's heart
V 动词 dòngcí
感 gǎn + 动 dòng (to move). The heart set in motion by something beautiful, kind, or touching. One of the most emotionally central verbs in Chinese — high frequency in literature, film, and daily speech.
这部电影让我非常感动。
Zhè bù diànyǐng ràng wǒ fēicháng gǎndòng.
This film moved me deeply.
他的故事感动了所有人。
Tā de gùshì gǎndòng le suǒyǒu rén.
His story moved everyone.
语法 yǔfǎ · Grammar Intransitive: 我感动了. Transitive: 他感动了我. Causative 让/使 pattern very common. Related adjective: 感人 gǎnrén (touching, moving — used attributively: 感人的故事 a touching story).
感慨 gǎnkǎi bittersweet swell of emotion; to sigh with feeling
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 慨 kǎi (to sigh; to lament — a person exhaling with grief). The bittersweet wave felt when contemplating time, change, and transience. Not sadness, not joy — the specific ache of things passing. Quintessentially literary. Common in memoirs, essays, and poetry.
回到故乡，他不禁感慨万千。
Huí dào gùxiāng, tā bùjīn gǎnkǎi wànqiān.
Returning to his hometown, he was overwhelmed by a thousand feelings.
成语 chéngyǔ 感慨万千 gǎnkǎi wànqiān — "ten thousand emotions surging." The go-to phrase for homecomings, reunions, and witnessing great change.
感叹 gǎntàn to exclaim with feeling; to marvel
V 动词 dòngcí
感 gǎn + 叹 tàn (to sigh; to exclaim). When emotion erupts as an exclamation. Memorable fact: 感叹号 gǎntànhào = the exclamation mark (!). The character literally encodes the grammar of feeling.
他不禁感叹时光飞逝。
Tā bùjīn gǎntàn shíguāng fēishì.
He couldn't help but marvel at how quickly time flies.
感伤 gǎnshāng melancholy; tender sadness
Adj 形容词 xíngróngcí
感 gǎn + 伤 shāng (wound; grief). The heart wounded by what it feels. Tender, autumnal. The feeling of parting, of beauty that cannot last. A key register in classical Chinese poetry and the ci 词 lyric tradition.
秋天总让她感到感伤。
Qiūtiān zǒng ràng tā gǎndào gǎnshāng.
Autumn always makes her feel melancholy.
感召 gǎnzhào Influence, Resonance & Inspiration
感染 gǎnrǎn to infect; to inspire; to spread into
V 动词 dòngcí
感 gǎn + 染 rǎn (to dye; to stain; to spread — dye spreading through cloth). The same word covers pathogen transmission and emotional contagion. Both are resonance spreading from one body to another — rooted in the classical cosmology of qì 气.
她的热情感染了整个团队。
Tā de rèqíng gǎnrǎn le zhěnggè tuánduì.
Her enthusiasm inspired (lit. infected) the whole team.
他感染了流感。
Tā gǎnrǎn le liúgǎn.
He was infected with the flu.
学者洞见 xuézhě dòngjiàn · Scholar Note The semantic overlap between disease and emotional spread is not metaphor — both are instances of gǎnyìng 感应 resonance in classical Chinese natural philosophy. The human body and the social body obey the same laws.
感化 gǎnhuà to reform through moral influence; to transform with virtue
V 动词 dòngcí
感 gǎn + 化 huà (to transform; to convert). To touch someone's heart so deeply they are morally transformed. A key Confucian concept: the ideal ruler governs not by force but by exemplary virtue — his presence alone 感化s those around him.
老师用爱心感化了那个问题学生。
Lǎoshī yòng àixīn gǎnhuà le nàge wèntí xuésheng.
The teacher transformed the problem student through love.
感应 gǎnyìng resonance; sympathetic response; induction
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 应 yìng (to respond; to echo). Used in both physics (电磁感应 diàncí gǎnyìng — electromagnetic induction) and classical cosmology. The doctrine of 天人感应 tiān rén gǎnyìng — Heaven and humanity in constant resonant dialogue — is a pillar of Han Confucian thought.
天人感应是中国古代哲学的核心概念。
Tiān rén gǎnyìng shì Zhōngguó gǔdài zhéxué de héxīn gàiniàn.
"Heaven-human resonance" is a core concept of ancient Chinese philosophy.
X + 感 X + gǎn "The Felt Sense of X" — Abstract Noun Pattern
构词洞见 gòucí dòngjiàn · Pattern Insight

Attaching 感 gǎn to the end of any noun or adjective creates an abstract noun meaning "the subjective, felt sense of X." Once internalized, you can decode and generate dozens of sophisticated psychological terms instantly. Japanese uses the identical pattern: 安全感 = 安全感 anzenkan, 使命感 = shimmeikan — another powerful cross-linguistic anchor.

字 Zì 拼音 Pīnyīn 英文 Yīngwén 例句 Lìjù
安全感 ānquán gǎn sense of security 她缺乏安全感。Tā quēfá ānquán gǎn. — She lacks a sense of security.
幸福感 xìngfú gǎn sense of well-being 如何提高幸福感？Rúhé tígāo xìngfú gǎn? — How to increase well-being?
使命感 shǐmìng gǎn sense of mission 他有强烈的使命感。Tā yǒu qiángliè de shǐmìng gǎn.
责任感 zérèn gǎn sense of responsibility 老师应有责任感。Lǎoshī yīng yǒu zérèn gǎn.
存在感 cúnzài gǎn sense of presence / being seen 他在班上没有存在感。Tā zài bān shàng méiyǒu cúnzài gǎn.
归属感 guīshǔ gǎn sense of belonging 这里让我有归属感。Zhèlǐ ràng wǒ yǒu guīshǔ gǎn.
成就感 chéngjiù gǎn sense of achievement 完成任务让我有成就感。Wánchéng rènwù ràng wǒ yǒu chéngjiù gǎn.
孤独感 gūdú gǎn sense of loneliness 城市生活带来孤独感。Chéngshì shēnghuó dài lái gūdú gǎn.
紧迫感 jǐnpò gǎn sense of urgency 我们要有紧迫感。Wǒmen yào yǒu jǐnpò gǎn.
仪式感 yíshì gǎn sense of ritual in everyday life 生活需要仪式感。Shēnghuó xūyào yíshì gǎn.
代入感 dàirù gǎn sense of immersion (narrative) 这部小说代入感很强。Zhè bù xiǎoshuō dàirù gǎn hěn qiáng.
优越感 yōuyuè gǎn sense of superiority 他有强烈的优越感。Tā yǒu qiángliè de yōuyuè gǎn.
羞耻感 xiūchǐ gǎn sense of shame 没有羞耻感是很危险的。Méiyǒu xiūchǐ gǎn shì hěn wēixiǎn de.
疏离感 shūlí gǎn sense of alienation 他对城市有一种疏离感。Tā duì chéngshì yǒu yī zhǒng shūlí gǎn.
画面感 huàmiàn gǎn visual vividness (of prose/speech) 他的描写很有画面感。Tā de miáoxiě hěn yǒu huàmiàn gǎn.
其他 qítā Other Key 感-Compounds
感情 gǎnqíng emotion; affection; the bond of a relationship
N 名词 míngcí
感 gǎn + 情 qíng (emotion; sentiment; romantic feeling). The substance of a relationship — accumulated warmth and emotional history between people. Bigger than a single feeling — the whole texture of a bond.
他们之间有深厚的感情。
Tāmen zhījiān yǒu shēnhòu de gǎnqíng.
There is a deep bond between them.
辨析 biànxī · 感情 vs. 情感 感情 gǎnqíng = colloquial, relational (feeling between people). 情感 qínggǎn = literary, abstract (art criticism, psychology). Warning: 感情用事 gǎnqíng yòngshì = "to act on emotion rather than reason" (pejorative).
感冒 gǎnmào cold; flu; to catch a cold
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 冒 mào (to emit; to brave recklessly). In traditional Chinese medicine, illness = pathogenic qì 气 entering the body. 感冒 = receiving and being overcome by wind-cold 风寒.
我感冒了，头很疼。
Wǒ gǎnmào le, tóu hěn téng.
I've caught a cold; my head really hurts.
俚语 lǐyǔ · Colloquial Slang 对…不感冒 duì… bù gǎnmào = "not into / not interested in." 我对这种音乐不感冒 = "I'm not into this kind of music." A vivid metaphorical extension — worth memorizing.
感悟 gǎnwù felt insight; wisdom from lived experience
V/N 动名词
感 gǎn + 悟 wù (to awaken; enlightenment — the word for Buddhist satori). Insight that comes not from reasoning alone but from experience touching the heart. Deeper than knowledge.
旅行让我有了很多人生感悟。
Lǚxíng ràng wǒ yǒu le hěn duō rénshēng gǎnwù.
Travel gave me many insights about life.
敏感 mǐngǎn sensitive; highly responsive
Adj 形容词 xíngróngcí
敏 mǐn (quick; alert; agile) + 感 gǎn (feel). Quick to feel. Used across registers: personality traits, skin types, and politically sensitive topics.
她是个很敏感的人，容易受伤。
Tā shì gè hěn mǐngǎn de rén, róngyì shòushāng.
She's a very sensitive person and is easily hurt.
这是个敏感话题。
Zhè shì gè mǐngǎn huàtí.
This is a sensitive topic.
成语 chéngyǔ Idioms & Set Phrases
感同身受 gǎn tóng shēn shòu to feel as if experiencing it oneself — deep, complete empathy Lit: feel-same-body-receive. The standard Chinese idiom for empathy. 我对你的遭遇感同身受。"I deeply empathize with what you've been through."
感激涕零 gǎnjī tì líng tears of gratitude streaming — overwhelmed by kindness to the point of tears Lit: grateful-tears-fall. Highest register of thankfulness. 涕零 = tears streaming down the face. Classical idiom for overwhelming gratitude.
感慨万千 gǎnkǎi wànqiān ten thousand emotions surging — overwhelmed by bittersweet feeling at life's passage Go-to phrase for homecomings, reunions, and witnessing great change. Appears constantly in memoirs and personal essays.
百感交集 bǎi gǎn jiāo jí a hundred feelings converging — a complex rush of mixed emotions all at once Lit: hundred-feelings-intersect-gather. For when emotions are too tangled and complex to name individually. 百 = figurative "many."
相邻词汇 xiānglín cíhuì Adjacent Vocabulary
心情xīnqíngmood 情绪qíngxùemotions; mood state 情感qínggǎnemotion (literary) 触动chùdòngto touch; to stir 共鸣gòngmíngresonance; to resonate 体验tǐyànto experience firsthand 领悟lǐngwùto grasp deeply 心动xīndòngheart moved; tempted 感人gǎnréntouching; moving (adj) 感性gǎnxìngemotional; sensory; intuitive 理性lǐxìngrational (contrast with 感性) 心灵xīnlíngsoul; inner spirit 直觉zhíjuéintuition 第六感dì liù gǎnsixth sense
记忆法 jìyìfǎ · Master Retention Image

Imagine 感 gǎn as a tuning fork pressed against the heart. When something real strikes it — a kindness, a piece of music, a pathogen, a homecoming — the fork vibrates and the heart resonates. The upper element 咸 (universal, reaching all) tells you the vibration can travel anywhere: upward into gratitude 感恩, outward into others 感染, inward into insight 感悟, dissolving into bittersweet sighs 感慨. Every 感-word is a different shape that resonance takes.

In Japanese: 感じる kanjiru — the same tuning fork, the same heart.