满意
satisfied; pleased
mǎnyì
What does 满意 mean?
满意 (mǎnyì) means 'satisfied,' 'pleased,' or 'content,' usually with how something turned out — a product, a service, a result, someone's work. It's a state-of-mind adjective: 我很满意 = 'I'm very satisfied.' To say what you are satisfied with, use 对…满意: 我对这个结果很满意 ('I'm satisfied with this result'). The negation is 不满意 ('dissatisfied').
Two contrasts with English: first, 满意 describes a judgment about quality or outcome, not a feeling like 'happy' — for 'I feel happy' use 高兴 or 开心. Second, 满意 is more about meeting expectations than feeling joyful — a customer might say 我很满意 about a hotel room without any emotion in their voice. Literally 满 ('full') + 意 ('intention/wish') = 'your wishes have been filled.'
Character breakdown
full; filled
intention; meaning; wish
Memory hook: 满 (full) + 意 (wish) = 'your wishes are filled' = satisfied.
Example sentences
我对这家饭店很满意。
Wǒ duì zhè jiā fàndiàn hěn mǎnyì.
I'm very satisfied with this restaurant.
neutral
老师对我们的成绩很满意。
Lǎoshī duì wǒmen de chéngjì hěn mǎnyì.
The teacher is very pleased with our grades.
neutral
你满意现在的工作吗？
Nǐ mǎnyì xiànzài de gōngzuò ma?
Are you satisfied with your current job?
spoken
他对自己的表现不太满意。
Tā duì zìjǐ de biǎoxiàn bú tài mǎnyì.
He isn't very satisfied with his own performance.
neutral
希望您满意我们的服务。
Xīwàng nín mǎnyì wǒmen de fúwù.
We hope you are satisfied with our service.
polite
Common phrases with 满意
Synonyms
满足 means 'content / satisfied with what one has' — a deeper sense of having enough, often about life or basic needs. 满意 is about a specific result or service meeting expectations. 对生活满足 = content with life; 对成绩满意 = pleased with the grade.