Having Trouble with Experiences in Mando? Read this! || 体验 vs 体会 vs 经历 vs 经验
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One stumbling block many Chinese learners experience on their journey is figuring out how to differentiate among the words 体验，体会，经历，and 经验, as all of these words are very closely related to the English concept of “experience”.
In this post, we’ll help anyone “experiencing” difficulty with these words differentiate them and use them properly 🙂
TLDR
体验 means “to experience” and “an experience”, but refers specifically to personal participation in an activity or situation to understand it, especially when it is new or unusual
体会 means “to realize” or “to understand”, and is used when you have personally experienced something and therefore understand it deeply, often on an emotional or spiritual level
经历 means “to go through” and “an experience”, and it is used when talking about going through certain events or stages in life
经验 means “experience” (noun), and it is used when referring to knowledge or skill acquired through practical experience over time
体验
体验 means “to experience” and “an experience”, but refers specifically to personal participation in an activity or situation to understand it, especially when it is new or unusual.
It’s often associated with novel situations or trying new things for gaining insights. For example, going scuba diving for the first time could be described as a “体验”. 🤿
Here are 2 examples:
你应该体验一下中国的春节！
You should experience the Chinese Spring Festival!
我开始在这里工作才体验了办公室以内的性别歧视
It was only when I started working here that I experienced sexism in the workplace
体会
体会 means “to realize” or “to understand”, and is used when you have personally experienced something and therefore understand it deeply, often on an emotional or spiritual level.
This term frequently appears in contexts of understanding abstract concepts, such as love, friendship, or life wisdom.
Here are 2 examples:
经过这件事，我体会到了友情的重要
Through this event, I realized the importance of friendship
只有你养孩子的时候才会体会当父母有多难
Only when you raise children will you realize how hard being a parent is
经历
经历 means “to go through” and “an experience”, and it’s used when talking about going through certain events or stages in life, which could be either positive or negative ➕➖
经历 emphasizes the process of experiencing, and it is often used to describe significant life events, such as wars, natural disasters, or personal milestones.
Here are 2 examples:
他经历过很多困难才成功的
He went through many difficulties before he succeeded
跑一个马拉松是个很值得的经历！
Running a marathon was a very worthwhile experience! 🏃♀️
经验
经验 means “experience” (noun), and it is used when referring to knowledge or skill acquired through practical experience over time.
It often implies learning from past experiences and applying that knowledge or skill in the future. The emphasis here is on learning and knowledge accumulation.
Here are 2 examples:
他有丰富的教学经验
He has rich teaching experience
他当翻译十年了，所以他的翻译经验很厚
He’s been a translator for 10 years, so his translation experience is very rich
To Conclude
Here are the main takeaways you should have gotten from this article:
体验 means “to experience” and “an experience”, but refers specifically to personal participation in an activity or situation to understand it, especially when it is new or unusual
体会 means “to realize” or “to understand”, and is used when you have personally experienced something and therefore understand it deeply, often on an emotional or spiritual level
经历 means “to go through” and “an experience”, and it is used when talking about going through certain events or stages in life
经验 means “experience” (noun), and it is used when referring to knowledge or skill acquired through practical experience over time
Try out this quiz to test your knowledge!