If you are looking for Chinese idioms, or cheng yu, to describe feelings in your Chinese compo, then look no further!
In this post, I’m going to share 5 useful Chinese idioms that you can use in your primary school Chinese compo examinations to describe every common emotion.
Chinese idiom to describe how happy someone is
Let’s start with the Chinese idiom that we can use to describe happiness.
Instead of using the word 高兴 gao xing to describe a happy character in your Chinese composition, try using 手舞足蹈 shou wu zu dao.
The Chinese idiom 手舞足蹈 shou wu zu dao literally translates into hands dancing and legs dancing.
This is a good phrase to use if you are describing a happy child in your compo. Not only does it paint the visual image of an excited child waving his hands in the air while jumping for joy, it also shows your school teacher your mastery of the language when you pack this idea into 4 succinct Chinese characters.
Next, let’s learn a Chinese idiom to describe sadness.
Chinese phrases for sadness
Instead of describing how sad a character is by using 难过 nan guo in your Chinese composition, try using 哇哇大哭 wa wa da ku.
This Chinese idiom has the same meaning as wailing in sorrow, a good phrase that you’ve probably learnt for your English composition. Unlike the previous Chinese idiom, this good phrases adds sound to your compo, making it easier for your reader to imagine how sad the character you are describing really is.
Chinese idioms for disappointment
Now, a sad character doesn’t always cry. Sometimes, your character might just be disappointed by some event that happened. How can you describe such a feeling?
Well, use the cheng yu cui tou sang qi. This means that same as sighing in despair and it also gives the reader some room to imagine how disappointed your character looks.
Chinese compo phrases for angry
When it comes to describing a character who is angry, you wouldn’t want to make the character say “我很生气 I am angry.” So what kind of angry Chinese phrases can you use for your compo?
The answer is 火冒三丈 huo mao san zhang.
This is a Chinese idiom that is both visual and easy to write. The literal meaning of the cheng yu huo mao san zhang is “fire shot up 3 feet high”. In other words, the flames of anger are so strong that it’s about the explode. You are very angry.
Chinese compo phrases for shock
Finally, the last Chinese idiom that will be useful to know is one that describe how shock 惊讶 a character is. For this last idiom, I’ve chosen the phrase “面如土色 mian ru tu se”. This is another Chinese idiom that is both visual and easy to write. “mian ru tu se”.
Now that you’ve learnt some examples of Chinese idioms to describe feelings, use them in your Chinese compo and see what difference it makes.
Besides idioms, there are many other good Chinese phrases for compo that you can use to improve the flow of your writing. Check out this post to learn more.
