心 xīn

simplified

traditional · same

xīn

heart · mind · the seat of thought and feeling

HSK 2 笔画 4 部首心 (itself) 声调第一声 (flat) all xin readings →

道德与伦理 · Morality and Ethics: A Reading Path hub → 汉字 · The Writing System: A Reading Path hub →

~15 min read

笔顺 bǐshùn · Stroke order

部首 radical (whole character) 书写 your drawing

Click the character to replay. Press Try drawing to write it yourself.

字源 zìyuán Etymology & Structure

字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight

心 is a pictograph, a stylized drawing of the human heart: curved chambers, arteries, three drops of blood. Among all common characters, it is one of the most direct and least changed: the oracle-bone form already looks like the modern glyph. Four brushstrokes. The entire organ of inner life, compressed into the simplest possible image.

In classical Chinese thought, 心 xīn is the organ of BOTH feeling AND thought. There is no separate word for "mind" as distinct from "heart"; the heart thinks. 孟子 Mencius stated it plainly: 心之官则思 xīn zhī guān zé sī, "The function of the heart is to think." The heart-mind divide that runs from Plato through Descartes has no equivalent in Chinese philosophy.

This is why 心理 (heart-logic) means psychology, 心得 (heart-get) means insight, and 用心 (use-heart) means to apply oneself with genuine care. Every 心 compound is a window into a world where thought and feeling were never separated.

In Japanese, 心 kokoro carries the same range: heart, mind, feeling, and spirit simultaneously. 心臓 shinzō (the biological heart) and 心理 shinri (psychology) expand from the same root in the same directions. Learning 心 in Chinese is a direct investment in Japanese literacy as well.

部首 bùshǒu 心 as Radical — Two Forms

部首洞见 bùshǒu dòngjiàn · Radical Insight

心 appears in two distinct forms depending on its position within a character:

Standalone / bottom form: 心 (4 strokes) , used when 心 sits below the main element. Characters: 思 (to think), 想 (to want; to think; to miss), 感 (to feel), 忘 (to forget), 恩 (grace), 恶 (evil; to hate), 念 (to read aloud; to miss), 志 (ambition; record), 忍 (to endure; to restrain).

Left-side component: 忄 (3 strokes) , a compressed vertical form used when 心 appears on the left side of a character. Characters: 情 (emotion; situation), 快 (fast; happy), 慢 (slow), 怕 (to fear), 怀 (to cherish; to hold), 忆 (to remember), 性 (nature; personality), 恨 (to hate), 惊 (startled; alarmed), 悲 (sad; grief).

The 心/忄 radical family is one of the largest in Chinese. Every character involving emotion, thought, intention, or moral character shares this root. Recognizing 忄 on the left edge of a character is enough to know it lives in the territory of the inner life.

10 key characters to anchor the family:

思 sī , to think · 想 xiǎng , to think; to miss; to want · 情 qíng , emotion; situation · 忘 wàng , to forget · 怕 pà , to fear · 性 xìng , nature; personality; sex · 恨 hèn , to hate · 恩 ēn , grace; gratitude · 忆 yì , to remember · 惊 jīng , startled; alarm

心境 xīnjìng The Mind-Heart Cluster

心情 xīnqíng mood; state of mind

N 名词 míngcí

心 xīn (heart) + 情 qíng (emotion; situation). The weather of the inner world. Where 情 alone is broad, covering emotion, circumstance, and romantic feeling, 心情 focuses it: the specific emotional atmosphere a person inhabits right now. It fluctuates by the hour. The most natural, most colloquial word for "mood" in everyday Mandarin.

今天心情很好。

Jīntiān xīnqíng hěn hǎo.

My mood is great today.

你心情怎么样？

Nǐ xīnqíng zěnmeyàng?

How are you feeling? How's your mood?

心情不好的时候，听音乐有帮助。

Xīnqíng bù hǎo de shíhòu, tīng yīnyuè yǒu bāngzhù.

When you're in a bad mood, listening to music helps.

辨析 biànxī · Comparison 心情 = mood / current emotional weather (immediate, colloquial). 情绪 qíngxù = emotions as a broader, more sustained category, slightly more clinical or literary. Ask about someone's 心情 in conversation; use 情绪 in written analysis.

心理 xīnlǐ psychology; mental state; mindset

N 名词 míngcí

心 xīn (heart) + 理 lǐ (logic; principle; grain of wood). "The logic of the heart." Used both as the general term for one's psychological state and as the root of 心理学 (psychology as a discipline). The word is a perfect emblem of the Chinese conception: the heart has logic, and that logic is a legitimate field of study requiring its own science.

他有心理问题。

Tā yǒu xīnlǐ wèntí.

He has a psychological issue.

这是正常的心理反应。

Zhè shì zhèngcháng de xīnlǐ fǎnyìng.

This is a normal psychological reaction.

心理健康很重要。

Xīnlǐ jiànkāng hěn zhòngyào.

Mental health is very important.

词族 cízú · Word Family 心理学 xīnlǐxué = psychology (the academic field). 心理医生 = psychiatrist / therapist. 心理咨询 = psychological counseling. 心理素质 = psychological quality / mental resilience.

心思 xīnsī thoughts; mental energy; what the mind is occupied with

N 名词 míngcí

心 xīn (heart) + 思 sī (to think; thought). What the heart is currently thinking about, or whether it has the mental space to think about something at all. Often appears in negative constructions: 没有心思 (no mental bandwidth) and 心思不在这里 (mind is elsewhere), capturing distraction, absorption, and the texture of where attention actually lives.

他心思不在这里。

Tā xīnsī bù zài zhèlǐ.

His mind isn't here , he's distracted.

没有心思工作。

Méiyǒu xīnsī gōngzuò.

No mental energy to work; can't focus on work.

她心思细腻。

Tā xīnsī xìnì.

She has a delicate, attentive mind.

心意 xīnyì intention; goodwill; the feeling behind a gesture

N 名词 míngcí

心 xīn (heart) + 意 yì (intention; meaning). The feeling or thought behind an action: the sincerity and warmth that a gift, gesture, or visit carries. Often used when downplaying the material value of what you have brought: 这只是一点心意 ("this is just a small token of my regard"). In Chinese social life, the 心意 behind a gift frequently carries more weight than the gift itself.

这只是一点心意。

Zhè zhǐshì yīdiǎn xīnyì.

This is just a small token of my regard.

领会了你的心意。

Lǐnghuì le nǐ de xīnyì.

I receive your goodwill , I appreciate the thought.

文化 wénhuà · Culture In gift-giving contexts, 心意 is the standard way to say "it's the thought that counts." The phrase 心意到了 (the heart-intention has arrived) is used when a gesture is warmly received even if the gift is modest.

情绪 qíngxù Emotional Verbs with 心

构词规律 gòucí guīlǜ · Pattern: Adj/V + 心 → emotional state verb 开 kāi (open) + 心 = 开心 (happy , the heart is opened, unblocked)
伤 shāng (wound) + 心 = 伤心 (heartbroken , the heart is physically wounded)
担 dān (carry on a shoulder pole) + 心 = 担心 (worried , hauling the heart as a burden)
放 fàng (put down; release) + 心 = 放心 (relieved , setting the heart back down)
小 xiǎo (small) + 心 = 小心 (careful , a heart small enough to catch fine details)
The emotion is expressed as something the heart does or undergoes. The verb encodes the mechanics of the inner state.

开心 kāixīn happy; glad; to be happy

Adj 形容词 xíngróngcí

开 kāi (open) + 心 xīn (heart). Lit. "open heart." The heart is opened, unblocked, free. One of the most common everyday happiness words in Mandarin, lighter and more colloquial than 高兴 gāoxìng (pleased, glad) and more immediate than 幸福 xìngfú (lasting happiness; bliss). Perfect for spontaneous, casual joy: receiving good news, seeing a friend, a pleasant surprise.

看到你我很开心！

Kàndào nǐ wǒ hěn kāixīn!

I'm so happy to see you!

今天发生了让我开心的事。

Jīntiān fāshēng le ràng wǒ kāixīn de shì.

Something happened today that made me happy.

希望你每天都开心。

Xīwàng nǐ měitiān dōu kāixīn.

I hope you're happy every day.

辨析 biànxī · The Happiness Register 开心 = colloquial, light, immediate joy. 高兴 gāoxìng = happy, pleased (slightly more formal, suitable for writing). 幸福 xìngfú = deep, lasting happiness or bliss. 快乐 kuàilè = joyful, cheerful (often used in fixed expressions: 生日快乐). Use 开心 in conversation; reserve the others for specific registers.

伤心 shāngxīn heartbroken; deeply sad; grieving

Adj 形容词 xíngróngcí

伤 shāng (wound; injury) + 心 xīn (heart). Lit. "wounded heart." The heart as a physical organ that can be injured. Used for real losses: a pet dying, a relationship ending, a deeply disappointing outcome. Stronger and more pointed than 难过 nánguò (distressed, upset).

她因为失去宠物而伤心了很久。

Tā yīnwèi shīqù chǒngwù ér shāngxīn le hěn jiǔ.

She was heartbroken for a long time after losing her pet.

别伤心，一切都会好的。

Bié shāngxīn, yīqiè dōu huì hǎo de.

Don't be heartbroken , everything will be okay.

这个消息让他很伤心。

Zhège xiāoxi ràng tā hěn shāngxīn.

This news made him very sad.

辨析 biànxī · Sadness Gradient 伤心 = heartbroken (implies real damage to the heart). 难过 nánguò = upset, distressed (less severe; also means physically unwell). 悲伤 bēishāng = grief, sorrow (more literary). 痛苦 tòngkǔ = anguish, suffering (most intense, can be physical or emotional).

担心 dānxīn to worry; to be concerned about

V 动词 dòngcí

担 dān (to carry on a shoulder pole; to bear a load) + 心 xīn (heart). Lit. "to carry the weight of the heart." Worry as a physical burden: the heart becomes heavy, something you haul around all day. One of the most common emotional verbs in everyday Mandarin. Parents 担心 children; friends 担心 each other; students 担心 exams.

别担心，我会照顾好自己的。

Bié dānxīn, wǒ huì zhàogù hǎo zìjǐ de.

Don't worry , I'll take good care of myself.

妈妈总是担心孩子的安全。

Māma zǒngshì dānxīn háizi de ānquán.

Mom always worries about her children's safety.

我有点担心明天的考试。

Wǒ yǒudiǎn dānxīn míngtiān de kǎoshì.

I'm a bit worried about tomorrow's exam.

语法 yǔfǎ · Grammar 担心 + person/event: 担心他 (worried about him). 担心 + clause: 担心他不来 (worried that he won't come). Causative: 让我担心 (to make me worry). Common reassurance: 不用担心 = no need to worry. 放心 is its direct antonym.

放心 fàngxīn to relax; to stop worrying; to feel at ease

V 动词 dòngcí

放 fàng (to put down; to release; to set free) + 心 xīn (heart). Lit. "put the heart down." The direct antonym of 担心. If worry is carrying the heart, 放心 is setting it back on the ground: the relief of knowing that what you feared is safe or resolved. Extremely frequent in reassurances and farewells.

你放心，我会按时完成任务。

Nǐ fàngxīn, wǒ huì ànshí wánchéng rènwù.

Rest assured , I'll finish the task on time.

知道他安全了，我才放了心。

Zhīdào tā ānquán le, wǒ cái fàng le xīn.

Only when I learned he was safe did I stop worrying.

放心吧！

Fàngxīn ba!

Relax! Don't worry! Trust me!

语法 yǔfǎ · Usage 你放心 = "Rest assured / Don't worry" , standard reassurance opener in speech and messages. 放不下心 = cannot stop worrying (cannot put the heart down). 让人放心 = reassuring. 放心不下 = cannot set the heart down (colloquial variant).

小心 xiǎoxīn careful; to be careful; watch out

Adj 形容词 xíngróngcí

小 xiǎo (small) + 心 xīn (heart). Lit. "small heart." A heart small enough to attend to fine details, to notice what is easily missed, to proceed with close attention. 小心 encodes caution as a form of attentiveness: the careful person has a heart small enough to catch small things before they become large problems.

小心脚下！

Xiǎoxīn jiǎo xià!

Watch your step!

过马路要小心。

Guò mǎlù yào xiǎoxīn.

Be careful when crossing the road.

他做事很小心。

Tā zuòshì hěn xiǎoxīn.

He is very careful in everything he does.

辨析 biànxī · Antonym & Family The opposite is 粗心 cūxīn (careless , lit. "coarse heart," too rough to catch fine details). Also 马虎 mǎhu (sloppy, careless). As a standalone warning: 小心！= "Watch out! Be careful!" 小心翼翼 xiǎoxīn yìyì = gingerly; extremely carefully (chengyu).

核心 héxīn Core & Center

中心 zhōngxīn center; central point; hub

N 名词 míngcí

中 zhōng (middle) + 心 xīn (heart). Lit. "middle heart." The conceptual and physical center of something: a city, an argument, an organization. Used freely in both spatial and abstract senses. Extremely productive in compound formation: any institution can become a 中心 by adding its domain.

市中心

shì zhōngxīn

city center; downtown

这是问题的中心。

Zhè shì wèntí de zhōngxīn.

This is the core of the problem.

购物中心

gòuwù zhōngxīn

shopping center; mall

核心 héxīn core; nucleus; the essential center

N 名词 míngcí

核 hé (nucleus; kernel; seed, as in 核武器 nuclear weapons) + 心 xīn (heart). The innermost, hardest, most essential center. Where 中心 is the geometric center, 核心 is the conceptual kernel, what everything else wraps around. Heavily used in political discourse, business strategy, and academic writing.

这是核心问题。

Zhè shì héxīn wèntí.

This is the core issue.

核心价值观

héxīn jiàzhíguān

core values

团队的核心成员

tuánduì de héxīn chéngyuán

the core members of the team

重心 zhòngxīn center of gravity; focus; emphasis

N 名词 míngcí

重 zhòng (heavy; weight) + 心 xīn (heart; center). A physics term that has crossed fully into metaphorical use: where the weight of attention, effort, or strategic priority lies. Used in business planning, policy discussions, and personal goal-setting.

工作重心要放在质量上。

Gōngzuò zhòngxīn yào fàng zài zhìliàng shàng.

The emphasis of the work should be placed on quality.

公司重心已经转移了。

Gōngsī zhòngxīn yǐjīng zhuǎnyí le.

The company's center of gravity has already shifted.

内心 nèixīn inner heart; deepest feelings; the inner self

N 名词 míngcí

内 nèi (inside; inner) + 心 xīn (heart). The deepest, most private layer of a person's interior life, what they feel before they decide how to present it to the world. Common in introspective prose, therapeutic contexts, and literary characterization. 内心世界 = the inner world.

内心深处

nèixīn shēnchù

deep inside one's heart; in the depths of one's inner self

她内心其实很脆弱。

Tā nèixīn qíshí hěn cuìruò.

Deep inside, she is actually very fragile.

要倾听内心的声音。

Yào qīngtīng nèixīn de shēngyīn.

You should listen to the voice of your inner heart.

心脏 xīnzàng The Physical Heart

心脏 xīnzàng the heart (anatomical organ)

N 名词 míngcí

心 xīn + 脏 zàng (internal organ, the biological sense; same character used in 器官, organs of the body). In modern Chinese, 心 alone almost never refers to the biological organ; that role belongs entirely to 心脏. The standalone 心 is always the conceptual, emotional, and cognitive heart.

心脏病

xīnzàng bìng

heart disease

心脏手术

xīnzàng shǒushù

heart surgery

心脏跳动有力。

Xīnzàng tiàodòng yǒulì.

The heart is beating strongly.

学者洞见 xuézhě dòngjiàn · The Critical Distinction 我的心很痛 = "My heart aches" (emotional pain , always metaphorical in modern usage). 我心脏有问题 = "I have a heart problem" (medical , always the biological organ). Learners who say 心 when they mean the physical organ sound archaic or unintentionally poetic. In a medical context, always use 心脏.

X + 心 X + xīn The "Heart-Feeling-Toward-X" Compound Table

构词洞见 gòucí dòngjiàn · Pattern Insight

Once you see 心 as a suffix meaning "the orientation or quality of the heart toward X", you can decode dozens of compound nouns instantly. Each is a direct description of the heart's direction of attention, desire, or cultivated character. Each names a trait as a property of the 心 itself.

字 Zì	拼音 Pīnyīn	英文 Yīngwén	例句 Lìjù
好奇心	hàoqí xīn	curiosity	孩子天生有好奇心。Háizi tiānshēng yǒu hàoqí xīn. — Children are born with curiosity.
好胜心	hàoshèng xīn	competitive spirit; desire to win	他的好胜心很强。Tā de hàoshèng xīn hěn qiáng. — His competitive drive is very strong.
自尊心	zìzūn xīn	self-esteem; pride	不要伤害他的自尊心。Bùyào shānghài tā de zìzūn xīn. — Don't hurt his self-esteem.
进取心	jìnqǔ xīn	drive; ambition; desire to improve	年轻人要有进取心。Niánqīng rén yào yǒu jìnqǔ xīn. — Young people should have drive.
同情心	tóngqíng xīn	compassion; sympathy	她富有同情心。Tā fùyǒu tóngqíng xīn. — She is full of compassion.
责任心	zérèn xīn	sense of responsibility	这份工作需要强烈的责任心。Zhè fèn gōngzuò xūyào qiángliè de zérèn xīn.
爱心	àixīn	loving heart; compassion; charitable spirit	她是个有爱心的人。Tā shì gè yǒu àixīn de rén. — She is a compassionate person.
童心	tóngxīn	childlike heart; innocent spirit	他永远保持着童心。Tā yǒngyuǎn bǎochí zhe tóngxīn. — He always keeps his childlike spirit.
耐心	nàixīn	patience	教小孩需要耐心。Jiāo xiǎohái xūyào nàixīn. — Teaching children requires patience.
信心	xìnxīn	confidence; faith	我对他有信心。Wǒ duì tā yǒu xìnxīn. — I have confidence in him.

成语 chéngyǔ Idioms & Set Phrases

一心一意 yī xīn yī yì single-minded; wholeheartedly devoted — one heart, one mind Lit: one-heart-one-intention. Used for unwavering focus or devotion , to a person, a task, or a cause. 他一心一意地爱着她。(He loves her with his whole heart and mind, without wavering.) The antonym is 三心二意 sān xīn èr yì , "three hearts, two intentions" , indecisive and halfhearted.

心心相印 xīn xīn xiāng yìn heart imprinting on heart — deep mutual understanding; soul connection 印 yìn = seal; to stamp. Like two wax seals pressed together making a perfect impression , silent, complete correspondence between two people's inner worlds. 他们心心相印，不需要多说话就能理解彼此。(They are so attuned that they understand each other without many words.) Used for deep friendship and romantic bonds alike.

心旷神怡 xīn kuàng shén yí heart vast, spirit at ease — expansive peace and contentment in beautiful surroundings 旷 kuàng = open; vast (like an open plain). 怡 yí = pleased; comfortable. The specific feeling of contentment and openness experienced in a beautiful landscape, after a burden lifts, or at a moment of rare clarity. Common at scenic spots: 站在山顶，令人心旷神怡。(Standing at the mountaintop, the feeling is one of expansive peace.)

心有灵犀 xīn yǒu líng xī hearts share the rhinoceros horn — telepathic understanding; being on the same wavelength From a Tang poem by Li Shangyin (李商隐): 身无彩凤双飞翼，心有灵犀一点通. The rhinoceros horn was believed in classical natural philosophy to have a channel running through its center , an image of two hearts with a shared passage between them, allowing understanding to flow without words. Used when two people grasp each other without explanation. Often shortened to the full line: 心有灵犀一点通.

记忆法 jìyìfǎ · Master Retention Image

Four brushstrokes for the center of a person's universe. When Mencius said 心之官则思 , "the heart's function is to think," he was stating the Chinese theory of mind: one organ, one center, one 心. To think and to feel are operations of the same instrument.

Every emotion word in Chinese is also a thought word. To be 开心 (happy) is literally to have your heart opened. To 担心 (worry) is to carry your heart like a burden. To 放心 (relax) is to put your heart back down. 小心 (careful) is the heart small enough to catch fine details. 伤心 (heartbroken) is the heart physically wounded. In a language where feeling and thinking share an organ, these are direct descriptions of what the one instrument does.

Every character with 忄 on the left lives in the neighborhood of the heart: emotion, thought, intention, character, memory, fear, longing. One radical. One organ.