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惬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
惬qièsatisfied, comfortable, cheerfulzg, 11 strokes, radical 忄
qiè(qie4)qie T4
  1. 1satisfied, comfortable, cheerful
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March 24, 2026

惬(㥦)qiè(qie4)

The character 惬 (qiè) conveys a sense of satisfaction, comfort, and cheerfulness. It is commonly used to describe feelings of contentment or the state of being pleased with a situation or outcome. This word often appears in expressions related to personal happiness or comfort in daily life.

Strokes11Radical忄
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the idea of being 惬意 (comfortable and satisfied) is highly valued, often reflected in traditional practices like tea ceremonies or leisure activities that promote relaxation and contentment.

Memory tip

Imagine a cheerful person (想象一个快乐的人) lounging comfortably (惬意地休息) on a soft couch. The character 惬 looks like a happy face resting, with the left part resembling a person and the right part suggesting comfort. This visual can help you remember both the pronunciation 'qiè' and its meaning of satisfaction.

Meanings of 惬

qiè(qie4)
1satisfied, comfortable, cheerful
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 惬

惬Simplified
㥦Traditional
11Strokes
忄Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 惬

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Podcast: 惬

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AI study notes for 惬

Quick Contrast

愉 (yú) vs 惬 (qiè): Use 惬 when emphasizing a deeper sense of contentment or satisfaction, while 愉 focuses more on joy or happiness.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 惬 with similar-sounding words. It is important to use it in contexts that specifically denote satisfaction or comfort rather than general happiness. It can be used in both formal and informal settings, but be cautious with collocations; for example, saying '惬意的生活' (comfortable life) is common.

HSK Study Tips

Although 惬 is not included in the HSK levels, it is a good addition to vocabulary related to emotions and states of being. Students should focus on using it in phrases that express personal feelings, which connects well with other HSK vocabulary about emotions.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is to use 惬 in contexts of general happiness, such as saying '我惬' to mean 'I am happy', which is incorrect. Instead, use it in contexts that emphasize comfort, like '我觉得很惬意' (I feel very comfortable).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 惬

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Etymology of 惬

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)夹
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

惬 = 忄 + 夹. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 惬

IDS Structure⿰忄⿷匚夹
惬Full character
=
忄xin1
left
匚fang1
enclosing
夹jia1
inner
Exercise 1 of 3

Parts

Which of these is part of 惬?

How to say satisfied, comfortable, cheerful in Chinese

“satisfied, comfortable, cheerful” in Chinese is惬qiè

The character 惬 (qiè) conveys a sense of satisfaction, comfort, and cheerfulness. It is commonly used to describe feelings of contentment or the state of being pleased with a situation or outcome. This word often appears in expressions related to personal happiness or comfort in daily life.

When to use 惬

Learners often confuse 惬 with similar-sounding words. It is important to use it in contexts that specifically denote satisfaction or comfort rather than general happiness. It can be used in both formal and informal settings, but be cautious with collocations; for example, saying '惬意的生活' (comfortable life) is common.

惬 or something close to it

愉 (yú) vs 惬 (qiè): Use 惬 when emphasizing a deeper sense of contentment or satisfaction, while 愉 focuses more on joy or happiness.

What learners get wrong

A common mistake is to use 惬 in contexts of general happiness, such as saying '我惬' to mean 'I am happy', which is incorrect. Instead, use it in contexts that emphasize comfort, like '我觉得很惬意' (I feel very comfortable).

Write 惬

惬

Practice writing 惬 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 惬

惬 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 5

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他们____意地躺在沙发上,胳膊搭在后面。

They sprawl at ease across the sofa, arms draped over the back.

Example sentences for 惬 (8)

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1
他们惬意地躺在沙发上,胳膊搭在后面。

tāmen qièyì dì tǎng zài shāfā shàng, gēbo dā zài hòumiàn。

They sprawl at ease across the sofa, arms draped over the back.
2
一种游戏玩得特别好是一桩惬意的事。

yī zhǒng yóuxì wán de tèbié hǎo shì yī zhuāng qièyì de shì。

It's satisfying to play a game really well.
3
顺风和向东的潮水使我们的航行很惬意、很省力。

shùn fēng hé xiàng dōng de cháoshuǐ shǐ wǒmen de hángxíng hěn qièyì、 hěn shěng lì。

The following wind and eastward running tide had given us a very pleasant, lazy sail.
4
她在韩国玩得很惬意。

tā zài hán guó wán de hěn qièyì。

She had a very jolly time in Korea.
5
热天洗个海水澡是十分令人惬意的事.

rè tiān xǐ gè hǎishuǐ zǎo shì shífēn lìng rén qièyì de shì.

On a hot day a dip in the sea is sheer paradise.
6
待在暖烘烘的火炉旁边真够惬意的.

dāi zài nuǎnhōnghōng de huǒ lú pángbiān zhēn gòu qièyì de.

It's so pleasant to lie by a warm fire.
7
莉兹大笑起来,惬意地伸着懒腰。

lì zī dà xiào qǐlái, qièyì dì shēn zhe lǎn yāo。

Liz laughed, stretching luxuriously.
8
埃米微倾酒杯晃了晃酒,惬意地舒了一口气。

āi mǐ Wēi qīng jiǔ bēi huǎng le huǎng jiǔ, qièyì dì Shū le yìkǒuqì。

Amy tilted her wine in her glass with a luxurious sigh.

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Word Family of 惬

Words containing this character2
惬意satisfied愜意
惬qiècheerful愜
Exercise 1 of 1

Words with 惬

What does 惬意 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 惬

You might say, '我感到很惬意' (I feel very satisfied) to express your comfort.

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