悲喜交加
bēi xǐ jiāo jiā
joy and sorrow at once; mixed feelings
Character by character
悲bēi
grief
grief
喜xǐ
joy
joy
交jiāo
mingle
mingle
加jiā
add
add
Example
女儿出嫁那天，老两口悲喜交加，笑着笑着就哭了。
On their daughter’s wedding day the old couple felt joy and sadness at once; their laughter turned to tears.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
For a moment or a period that brings good and bad together. The same 交加 appears in 风雨交加, wind and rain at once.
Learn this in Lesson 85 · HSK 6–7: 共同的记忆 (Shared memories, 2003–2022)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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