jan1 jin4欣然
Jyutpingjan1 jin4
Yaleyān yìhn
Definition
Joyfully, gladly, or with pleasure; happy and willing to do something.
writtenemotiondaily actions
How it's used
This word is primarily found in formal writing or elevated speech rather than casual daily conversation. It carries a sense of willingness and positive attitude that sounds slightly literary or professional. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people would more naturally use 樂意 or 好開心咁 to express the same sentiment.
Examples
He gladly agreed to help me out.
Are you happily accepting this arrangement?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this as a direct translation for happy, but it specifically describes the manner in which an action is performed. It is an adverbial modifier that must precede a verb, such as 欣然同意 or 欣然接受, rather than a standalone adjective to describe a person's state of mind.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
