欣
take pleasure in, rejoice
Readings
On'yomi
- キン
- ゴン
- コン
Kun'yomi
- よろこ.ぶ
- よろこ.び
Nanori
- やすし
- よし
- し
Meaning
欣 centers on a joyful emotional response: taking pleasure in something or rejoicing. It expresses a sense of gladness or delight.
Most common words using 欣
- 欣々然きんきんぜん
joyful; delighted; cheerful; happy
- 欣喜きんき
pleasure
- 欣喜雀躍きんきじゃくやく
jump up for joy
- 欣快きんかい
pleasant; delightful
- 欣悦きんえつ
joy; gladness
- 欣懐きんかい
thinking happily of
- 欣栄きんえい
joy and glory; joyous glory; pleasure
- 欣求ごんぐ
earnest aspiration (to go to paradise)
- 欣求浄土ごんぐじょうど
seeking rebirth in the Pure Land
- 欣然きんぜん
joyful; cheerful
- 欣羨きんせん
being very jealous; extreme jealousy
Study
Etymology
欣 combines 斤 (axe) and 欠 (open mouth, often associated with emotion or breath). The exact historical development is uncertain, but the combination likely expressed a joyful or emotional response.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture an axe (斤) and a person with an open mouth (欠) in a cheerful expression. The axe might represent a tool that brings satisfaction, and the open mouth shows joy—together they mean taking pleasure or rejoicing.
Reading mnemonic
For キン, imagine a king (キン) rejoicing after a victory: the king's joy cues キン, and the kanji shows his open-mouthed delight.