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HSK 4

感动

to be moved; touch emotionally

verbneutral
感
gǎn3rd tone
动
dòng4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
gǎndòng
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 4
Strokes
19
Register
neutral

Stroke order for 感动

感动 is written with 19 strokes (感: 13, 动: 6). The animation replays automatically.

What does 感动 mean?

感动 (gǎndòng) is a verb meaning to be moved or touched emotionally, or to move someone — to stir warm feelings of gratitude, sympathy, or admiration.

It works two ways: intransitively for the person who feels it (我很感动 'I'm very moved') and transitively for what causes the feeling (这个故事感动了很多人 'this story moved many people'). What trips English speakers up is that 感动 is overwhelmingly positive and warm — it describes being touched by kindness, love, or a heartfelt gesture, not being emotionally 'moved' in a neutral or negative sense. You cannot use it for being shaken by bad news; that's 震惊 or 难过.

It can also serve as an adjective/noun ('moving,' 'a moving feeling'). The passive 被感动 ('to be moved by') is very common.

Character by character

感gǎnto feel; sense; be affected
+
动dòngto move; stir
=
感动

Memory hook: 感 (feel) + 动 (move) — your feelings get moved, so you're touched.

Example sentences

看到这一幕，我很感动。

Kàndào zhè yí mù, wǒ hěn gǎndòng.

Seeing this scene, I was really moved.

spoken

他的话感动了在场的每一个人。

Tā de huà gǎndòng le zàichǎng de měi yí ge rén.

His words moved everyone present.

neutral

她感动得说不出话来。

Tā gǎndòng de shuō bu chū huà lái.

She was so moved she couldn't speak.

neutral

这个真实的故事让无数读者深受感动。

Zhège zhēnshí de gùshì ràng wúshù dúzhě shēn shòu gǎndòng.

This true story deeply moved countless readers.

written

Common phrases with 感动

被感动bèi gǎndòngto be moved (by)
感动人心gǎndòng rénxīnto touch people's hearts
深受感动shēn shòu gǎndòngto be deeply moved
感动得哭了gǎndòng de kū leso moved that one cried

Synonyms

感激gǎnjī

感激 is specifically gratitude toward someone who helped you. 感动 is the broader emotional 'being touched,' which may or may not involve gratitude. You can be 感动 by a sad film but 感激 only a person.

Don't confuse 感动 with

激动jīdòng

激动 means excited or worked up (with adrenaline). 感动 means warmly touched (with tenderness). At good news you're 激动; at a kind gesture you're 感动.

感觉gǎnjué

感觉 means to feel or a feeling in general (physical or mental). 感动 is the specific emotional state of being touched. Don't swap them.

FAQ

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