兴高采烈

Pronunciation: xìng gāo cǎi liè Literal meaning: High spirits and exuberance

Origin & Usage

Liu Xie, writing on style and temperament, characterised the poet Ji Kang as lofty in inspiration (兴高) and vivid in expression (采烈). 采 there means literary colouring, not picking or gathering. The phrase has left criticism for ordinary speech and now simply means in high spirits, applied to children at a festival and to teams that have just won. Nothing of Ji Kang survives in it, which is a pity, since he was executed at forty for exactly the temperament being praised.

Examples

English: "The children were in high spirits, celebrating their victory with laughter and cheer."

Chinese: 孩子们兴高采烈地庆祝他们的胜利，笑声不断。