Definitions

qíng (noun) feeling; emotion
qíng (noun) love; affection
qíng (noun) circumstances; situation

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "情" is structured with the heart radical (心, often in its side form 忄) alongside the phonetic and semantic component 青, which originally suggested qualities of essence or clarity, thereby constructing a concept of the heart's authentic nature or hue. In early classical texts, its meaning centered on inherent human qualities and the genuine facts of a situation, often referring to one's essential nature or the objective reality of circumstances. Over time, this core sense of inherent quality shifted toward the subjective realm, coming to predominantly denote human emotions, feelings, and affections, as these were understood as fundamental expressions of the human condition. Concurrently, it retained a layer of objective application, referring to the particular conditions or factual details of a situation, as seen in words like 事情 (matter, affair) or 情况 (circumstances), demonstrating how its semantic field expanded to encompass both internal sentiment and external state without losing its foundational link to inherent truth.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我心很好。

Wǒ xīnqíng hěn hǎo.

I am in a good mood.

这种况很少见。

Zhè zhǒng qíngkuàng hěn shǎo jiàn.

This kind of situation is rare.

他们感深厚。

Tāmen gǎnqíng shēnhòu.

Their feelings are deep.

请告诉我事经过。

Qǐng gàosu wǒ shìqíng jīngguò.

Please tell me the course of events.

需要双方付出。

Àiqíng xūyào shuāngfāng fùchū.

Love requires both sides to give.

绪管理很重要。

Qíngxù guǎnlǐ hěn zhòngyào.

Emotion management is very important.

在复杂况下做出决定。

Zài fùzá qíngkuàng xià zuò chū juédìng.

Make a decision in complex situations.

他对国家国有深刻了解。

Tā duì guójiā guóqíng yǒu shēnkè liǎojiě.

He has a deep understanding of the national conditions.