喜忧参半

xǐ yōu cān bàn

good news and bad in equal measure; mixed

Character by character

喜xǐ
joy

忧yōu
worry

参cān
share

半bàn
half

儿子要去外地上大学，妈妈喜忧参半：高兴他有出息，又担心他照顾不好自己。

Her son is off to university in another city, and his mother has mixed feelings: glad he is doing well, worried he won’t look after himself.

Tone: neutral.

参半 is “half and half”; 参 here is cān, not shēn or cēn. Journalists use it of economic data, results and reviews: 成绩喜忧参半, 数据喜忧参半.

Learn this in Lesson 123 · HSK 7–9: 年度数据发布会 (Press conference: the year in numbers)

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.