Definition

1. Adjective:
   • To be beside oneself with joy, to be gleeful, to be elated: "hí hửng" describes a state of being extremely happy, cheerful, and excited, often visibly and childishly so, typically due to anticipation or receiving something pleasant.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Em bé được đồ chơi, hí hửng cả ngày. (The little child was given a toy and was gleeful all day.)
  • Thấy tin nhắn của bạn, cô ấy hí hửng mở ra xem ngay. (Seeing her friend's message, she gleefully opened it immediately.)
  • Anh ấy hí hửng khoe với mọi người về tin vui. (He was elated, showing off the good news to everyone.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hí ha hí hửng": This is a reduplicative form (từ láy) that intensifies the meaning, expressing an even greater degree of joy and excitement.
  • Nghe tin đỗ đại học, nó hí ha hí hửng suốt. (Upon hearing the news of passing the university entrance exam, he was absolutely beside himself with joy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hí hởn (adj): A near-synonym meaning cheerful, merry, or in high spirits, though sometimes with a slightly less intense or more general connotation than "hí hửng".
  • Khuôn mặt hí hởn của đứa trẻ. (The child's cheerful face.)

Synonyms

• Vui mừng: to be happy, joyful.
• Hân hoan: to be jubilant, overjoyed.
• Tươi cười: to be smiling, cheerful.

Notes on Meaning

• Anticipation vs. Realization: "Hí hửng" often implies joy mixed with excitement, which can stem from both anticipation of something good or from having just received/achieved it. The reference "se réjouir d'avance" (to rejoice in advance) highlights this anticipatory aspect.
• Tone and Register: The word has a lively, vivid, and somewhat colloquial tone. It often describes a visible, sometimes childlike or unreserved display of happiness.

1. Be beside oneself with joy
   • em bé được đồ chơi hí hửng
     The little boy was beside himself with joy, having been given a toy
   • Hí ha hí hửng (láy, ý tăng)