When you're learning Chinese, you'll find that many emotions have vivid, descriptive phrases. One such phrase is 心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng). Literally, this phrase breaks down to 心 (xīn) meaning heart, 灰 (huī) meaning ash or gray, 意 (yì) meaning intention or spirit, and 冷 (lěng) meaning cold.
So, when you put it all together, it paints a picture of a heart turned to ash and a spirit grown cold. This perfectly captures the feeling of being utterly discouraged, disheartened, or despondent. It's often used when someone has experienced repeated setbacks or disappointments, leading to a loss of hope or motivation. Think of it as feeling completely drained of enthusiasm and optimism.
Grammar to Know
Can be used as a predicate to describe a person's emotional state directly.
他因为考试没通过，心灰意冷。(He was discouraged because he didn't pass the exam.)
Can be used with adverbs like '很' (hěn, very) or '非常' (fēicháng, extremely) to intensify the feeling.
她非常心灰意冷，不想再尝试了。(She was very disheartened and didn't want to try again.)
Often followed by a clause explaining the reason for the discouragement, using words like '因为' (yīnwèi, because) or '所以' (suǒyǐ, so).
他心灰意冷，所以决定放弃。(He was despondent, so he decided to give up.)
Can be used with '让' (ràng, to make/let) to describe something that causes someone to feel discouraged.
这些失败让他心灰意冷。(These failures made him disheartened.)
Often appears in literary or more formal contexts to convey a strong sense of despair or loss of hope.
面对如此困境，他感到心灰意冷。(Facing such a difficult situation, he felt despondent.)
Grammar Patterns
Sentence Patterns
subject + 因为 + reason + 而 + 心灰意冷
他因为找不到工作而心灰意冷。 (He was discouraged because he couldn't find a job.)
subject + 变得有些 + 心灰意冷
她经历了很多挫折后变得有些心灰意冷。 (She became a bit disheartened after experiencing many setbacks.)
subject + 让 + object + 感到 + 心灰意冷
失败让他感到心灰意冷。 (Failure made him feel disheartened.)
即使 + situation + 也不能 + 心灰意冷
即使情况很糟糕，我们也不能心灰意冷。 (Even if the situation is bad, we cannot be despondent.)
别 + 心灰意冷
别心灰意冷，再试一次。 (Don't be discouraged, try again.)
How to Use It
心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng) is a four-character idiom (成语 chéngyǔ) used to describe a state of profound discouragement or despondency. It literally translates to 'heart turned to ashes, intentions turned cold.' This phrase is typically used when someone has experienced repeated setbacks, failures, or disappointments, leading them to lose hope, motivation, or enthusiasm for something they were once passionate about. It implies a deeper sense of defeat and resignation than simply feeling 'sad' or 'unhappy.' It suggests a loss of fighting spirit or a giving up on a goal or endeavor. You'll often hear it in contexts where people are talking about giving up on their dreams, a project, or even life itself due to overwhelming difficulties. Examples:
- 他屡次尝试都失败了，现在感到心灰意冷。(Tā lǚcì chángshì dōu shībài le, xiànzài gǎndào xīnhuīyìlěng.)
He tried many times and failed, now he feels discouraged. - 经过这么多年的努力，公司还是没有起色，她不免有些心灰意冷。(Jīngguò zhème duō nián de nǔlì, gōngsī háishì méiyǒu qǐsè, tā bùmiǎn yǒuxiē xīnhuīyìlěng.)
After so many years of effort, the company still showed no improvement, she couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. - 不要因为一时的挫折就心灰意冷，要继续努力。(Bùyào yīnwèi yīshí de cuòzhé jiù xīnhuīyìlěng, yào jìxù nǔlì.)
Don't be discouraged by temporary setbacks, keep working hard.
A common mistake is to use 心灰意冷 for minor or temporary feelings of sadness or disappointment. It's a strong idiom that conveys a deep sense of resignation and loss of hope. Don't use it for situations where 'sad' (难过 nánguò) or 'unhappy' (不开心 bù kāixīn) would suffice.
For instance, if you just missed your bus, you wouldn't say you are 心灰意冷. You would be disappointed or frustrated. Reserve 心灰意冷 for more significant emotional states where hope has truly diminished.
Another mistake is to use it as a verb directly for an object. It describes a state of being. While it can be used with '感到' (gǎndào - feel) or '让 (ràng - make someone feel),' it's usually the subject feeling this way, not an action being performed on an object.
Incorrect: 那个消息心灰意冷了他。(Nàgè xiāoxī xīnhuīyìlěng le tā.)
Correct: 那个消息让他感到心灰意冷。(Nàgè xiāoxī ràng tā gǎndào xīnhuīyìlěng.)
That news made him feel discouraged.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine your 'heart' (心 - xīn) turning to 'ash' (灰 - huī), and your 'mind' (意 - yì) feeling 'cold' (冷 - lěng). This vividly paints a picture of being utterly discouraged and disheartened.
Visual Association
Picture a once vibrant, red heart (心) slowly turning grey and crumbling into ash (灰). Then, imagine a bright, active mind (意) becoming still, distant, and cold (冷), like a winter landscape. This contrast emphasizes the loss of warmth and spirit.
Word Web
Challenge
Think about a time you felt really discouraged or disheartened. How would you describe that feeling using '心灰意冷'? Now, try to describe a fictional character who is feeling '心灰意冷' after a major setback. For example: 他在考试失败后，对未来感到心灰意冷。(Tā zài kǎoshì shībài hòu, duì wèilái gǎndào xīnhuīyìlěng.) - After failing the exam, he felt disheartened about the future.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
After many failed attempts at learning a new skill, someone might feel discouraged.
- 他学了很多次，但是都没有成功，所以感到心灰意冷。(He tried learning many times, but never succeeded, so he felt disheartened.)
- 别因为一两次的失败就心灰意冷。(Don't get discouraged just because of one or two failures.)
- 她对自己的前途感到心灰意冷。(She felt despondent about her future.)
When a long-term goal seems impossible to achieve, people can become despondent.
- 多年的努力没有结果，让他有些心灰意冷。(Years of effort without results made him feel a bit disheartened.)
- 面对巨大的困难，他没有心灰意冷，反而更加努力。(Facing huge difficulties, he didn't get discouraged, but instead worked even harder.)
- 这份工作让他心灰意冷，觉得没有希望。(This job made him feel despondent, feeling hopeless.)
Experiencing repeated setbacks in a relationship or personal life can lead to feeling disheartened.
- 感情上的挫折让她心灰意冷。(Relationship setbacks made her feel disheartened.)
- 他对生活感到心灰意冷，失去了所有的热情。(He felt despondent about life, losing all his passion.)
- 不要因为别人的批评而心灰意冷。(Don't get discouraged by others' criticism.)
When facing a difficult situation where solutions seem unavailable, one might feel despondent.
- 看到这样的情况，我真有点心灰意冷。(Seeing this situation, I really feel a bit disheartened.)
- 尽管情况很糟，我们也不能心灰意冷。(Although the situation is bad, we cannot get discouraged.)
- 他的心灰意冷让团队的气氛也很低落。(His despondency made the team's atmosphere very low.)
A sense of disappointment after high expectations can result in feeling discouraged.
- 考试结果不理想，他有点心灰意冷。(The exam results were not ideal, and he was a bit disheartened.)
- 对公司的前景感到心灰意冷。(Feeling despondent about the company's prospects.)
- 她试图振作起来，不让自己心灰意冷。(She tried to cheer up and not let herself feel disheartened.)
Conversation Starters
"你有没有过因为什么事情感到心灰意冷的时候？(Have you ever felt disheartened because of something?)"
"当你感到心灰意冷的时候，你会怎么做来振作自己？(When you feel disheartened, what do you do to cheer yourself up?)"
"你觉得人们在什么情况下最容易感到心灰意冷？(Under what circumstances do you think people are most likely to feel disheartened?)"
"有没有什么事情是你曾经很想放弃，但最后坚持下来没有心灰意冷的？(Is there anything you once wanted to give up on, but eventually persevered and didn't get discouraged?)"
"你会怎么安慰一个感到心灰意冷的朋友？(How would you comfort a friend who feels disheartened?)"
Journal Prompts
描述一次你感到心灰意冷的经历，当时你有什么感受，后来你是如何克服的？(Describe an experience where you felt disheartened. What did you feel at the time, and how did you overcome it later?)
写下一些你认为可能导致人们感到心灰意冷的原因。(Write down some reasons you think might lead people to feel disheartened.)
如果你现在正感到心灰意冷，你会给自己写一封怎样的信来鼓励自己？(If you are currently feeling disheartened, what kind of letter would you write to yourself to encourage yourself?)
思考并写下三个当你感到心灰意冷时可以帮助你的方法。(Think about and write down three methods that can help you when you feel disheartened.)
描述一个你认识的人，他/她曾经心灰意冷，但最终克服了困难的例子。(Describe an example of someone you know who was once disheartened but eventually overcame difficulties.)
Test Yourself 24 questions
Greeting
Gratitude
Farewell
Read this aloud:
请问
Focus: qǐng wèn
You said:
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Read this aloud:
不客气
Focus: bú kè qi
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
对不起
Focus: duì bu qǐ
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
You missed your bus and now you're late for an important meeting. Describe how you feel using a phrase that means 'discouraged'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我错过公交车了，现在开会要迟到了，我感到心灰意冷。
Your friend failed an exam they studied very hard for. Write a short message to them expressing how you think they might feel, using a phrase related to being 'disheartened'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我知道你这次考试没考好，你现在一定感到心灰意冷吧。
Imagine you've been working on a project for a long time, but it's not going well. How would you describe your emotional state using a word that means 'despondent'?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我的项目一直进展不顺利，我感到心灰意冷。
小明现在的心情可能是：
Read this passage:
小明努力学习了很久，但是考试还是没通过。他现在觉得很难过。
小明现在的心情可能是：
小明努力学习但考试没过，他会感到心灰意冷。
小明努力学习但考试没过，他会感到心灰意冷。
她现在的心情是：
Read this passage:
她找工作找了很久，但是一直没有好消息。她有点不想再找了。
她现在的心情是：
长时间找不到工作，她会感到心灰意冷。
长时间找不到工作，她会感到心灰意冷。
队员们现在的心情是：
Read this passage:
他们的球队输了最重要的比赛，队员们都很伤心，不想说话。
队员们现在的心情是：
输掉重要比赛，队员们会感到心灰意冷。
输掉重要比赛，队员们会感到心灰意冷。
Choose the sentence where “心灰意冷” is used correctly.
“心灰意冷” describes a feeling of discouragement or despondency, which fits the context of failing an exam. The other options describe positive feelings or actions, which are contradictory to “心灰意冷”.
Which of the following situations would most likely make someone feel “心灰意冷”?
“心灰意冷” is about feeling discouraged and losing hope. Repeated failures despite hard work are a common cause of such feelings. The other options describe positive or neutral situations.
Which word is an antonym for “心灰意冷”?
“心灰意冷” means disheartened or discouraged. “振奋” means to be invigorated or inspired, which is the opposite feeling. The other options are synonyms or closely related negative emotions.
If someone is feeling “心灰意冷”, it means they are very excited and happy.
“心灰意冷” means discouraged, disheartened, or despondent. It describes a feeling of sadness and loss of hope, not excitement or happiness.
You can use “心灰意冷” to describe someone who has lost all their motivation to continue trying.
“心灰意冷” perfectly describes a state of being completely discouraged and losing the will or motivation to continue pursuing something.
Seeing a beautiful sunset would typically make someone feel “心灰意冷”.
A beautiful sunset usually evokes feelings of peace, wonder, or joy, not discouragement or despondency. “心灰意冷” is associated with negative emotional states.
Listen for why he was discouraged.
Listen for the advice about being discouraged.
Listen for what caused her to become disheartened.
Read this aloud:
不要心灰意冷，坚持下去总会成功的。
Focus: 心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
面对困难，我们绝不能心灰意冷。
Focus: 绝不能 (jué bù néng)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
虽然结果不如预期，但他并没有心灰意冷。
Focus: 不如预期 (bù rú yù qī)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Example
几次失败后，他变得心灰意冷。
Related Content
More emotions words
有点
A1A little; somewhat; rather.
一点
A1A little; a bit; slightly.
可恶
A2Hateful; detestable; abominable.
心不在焉
A2Absent-minded; preoccupied.
接受地
A2Acceptingly; receptively.
成就感
B1Sense of achievement; fulfillment.
撒娇
A2To act like a spoiled child; to act cute.
上瘾
B1To be addicted to something.
沉迷
A2To be addicted to; to be engrossed in.
敬佩
B1Admiration; respect; reverence.
