Chinese word

好奇

Pronunciation

Pinyinhào qí

Meaning

  • adjectivecurious

Example

他对新事物很好奇。tā duì xīn shì wù hěn hào qí

He is very curious about new things.

Illustration for 好奇 (curious)

More examples

孩子对动物总是很好奇。hái zi duì dòng wù zǒng shì hěn hào qí

Children are always very curious about animals.

Core concept

A mind drawn toward the unfamiliar, looking closer to discover what it is and why it works.

Common phrases

  • 对动物好奇duì dòng wù hào qí

    curious about animals

  • 对别人的经历好奇duì bié rén de jīng lì hào qí

    curious about other people's experiences

Similar words

感兴趣gǎn xìng qù: Showing interest in a subject and wishing to know more about it.
好问hǎo wèn: Being inclined to ask questions to find answers about unknown points.

Definition in Chinese

看到或想到不熟悉、新奇的事物时，产生想了解其原因、细节或真相的心理倾向。kàn dào huò xiǎng dào bù shú xī xīn qí de shì wù shí chǎn shēng xiǎng liáo jiě qí yuán yīn xì jié huò zhēn xiàng de xīn lǐ qīng xiàng

Word origin

好 (hào, "to like") + 奇 (qí, "unusual") frames curiosity as a liking for what is unusual.

Usage tips

  • With everyday topics, 对 (duì, "toward") often introduces what arouses curiosity, so the Chinese pattern differs from English curious about.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word