Chinese character for happiness: 幸福 (xìngfú)
The Chinese word for happiness is 幸福 (xìngfú). It means deep, lasting happiness and well-being, as in a happy life or a happy family. For a happy mood in the moment, Chinese uses 快乐 (kuàilè).
How 幸福 is built
幸 (xìng) means good luck or fortune; its ancient form is often explained as a pair of shackles, so escaping them was lucky, but treat that as a memory aid. 福 (fú) joins 礻, the altar radical used for blessings, with 畐 (fú), a full jar that also gives the sound. As a memory aid, 幸福 is luck plus a full jar of blessings: happiness that lasts. Both characters are the same in simplified and traditional Chinese.
幸 xìng · favor
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 十 — ten
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
- 干gàn — dry (gān)
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
Origin hint: Two men, one alive 土 and one dead 干; the living one is lucky (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
福 fú · good fortune
- 礻shì — spirit/altar
- 卜bo — divination
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丶 — dot
- 卜bo — divination
- 畐fú — to fill
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 田tián — field
- 冂 — frame
- 土tǔ — earth
Origin hint: 礻 gives the meaning, 畐 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 幸福 is used
Other ways to say happiness
- 快乐 kuàilè — happy, cheerful; used in 生日快乐 (happy birthday)
- 福 fú — good fortune and blessing, a single character
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: 幸福 is identical in both scripts; it suits a life-long wish, while 快乐 is more like 'having fun'.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for happiness?
幸福 (xìngfú) means “happiness”.
How do you pronounce 幸福?
幸福 is pronounced xìngfú.