When the foreign students go to school to study Mandarin, they are often confused at the words which have the same word root. This kind of words may have similar meaning and they can be used in the similar context for their word class may be the same. When the foreign students confront such words, they should read more examples to understand the separate words better and understand the grammatical use of the words as well. Since such words are only different in some certain small point, the usage of the words should be learned with a careful mind and an earnest attitude.
Today we will learn such words. the words are 感动and 激动. The two words have similar word root动. They all refer to the changing emotions of the people. Now let’s see the word 感动 first. The word 感动 refers that the emotions of the people are affected by the outside world. The emotions will generate the sympathy and pursuit of the people. Literally, the word 感动refers that something makes the people moved. On the contrary, the word 激动refers to the emotions of excitement. The emotion gets the people excited.
General meanings of the words are defined. Now let’s see the comparison of the words. The word 感动can be used as an adjective. The word means that the emotion can have resonance due to the influence of the outside world. The word can be used a verb. It means that the emotion can rouse same feelings among people. The word激动indicates the meaning that people intend to be excited because of stimulation. The word 激动is an adjective.
Since examples play an important role in the understanding of the words in the process to learn Mandarin Chinese, we will see some example to reinforce the understanding of the words. the first sentence is 他助人为乐的精神感动了大家. The sentence can be translated into the following. His spirit of helping others moves the people. The word感动can not be replaced by the word 激动 since the action of helping others can not make others excited. The second example is that 他越说越激动,一下子大哭起来. The literal meaning of the sentence is that he gets more and more excited as he says and he bursts into tears. The word激动can not be replaced by the word 感动since the speaker can not be moved by his own words.