心

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 心. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 心, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 心 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 心 you have here. The definition of the word 心 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of心, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: 必
心 U+5FC3, 心
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5FC3
← 忂
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 忄 →
⼼ U+2F3C, ⼼
KANGXI RADICAL HEART
← ⼻
 		Kangxi Radicals ⼽ →

Translingual

Stroke order
4 strokes
Stroke order

Alternative forms

  • 忄 (when used as a left Chinese radical)
  • 㣺 (sometimes found as a bottom Chinese radical in characters such as 慕)

Han character

心 (Kangxi radical 61, 心+0, 4 strokes, cangjie input 心 (P), four-corner 33000, composition ⿲丿⿺乚丶丶 or ⿲丿⿺㇃丶丶)

  1. Kangxi radical #61, ⼼.

Usage notes

When written as a bottom radical, 心 is similar to 灬 (fire radical) but is distinguished by the second stroke from the left being longer, passing under the third stroke.

Derived characters

Further reading

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 375, character 1
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10295
  • Dae Jaweon: page 700, character 5
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2267, character 1
  • Unihan data for U+5FC3

Chinese

simp. and trad.
 心
alternative forms ⺗
㣺
忄
Wikipedia has articles on:
  • 心 (Written Standard Chinese?)
  • 心 (Cantonese)

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 心
Shang Western Zhou Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Chu slip and silk script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Characters in the same phonetic series (心) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
沁 *sʰlɯms
吣 *sʰlɯms
心 *slɯm
杺 *slɯm
伈 *slɯmʔ

Pictogram (象形) – a heart, now highly stylized.

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s(j)am-s.

Pronunciation

Note:
  • sim1 - Chaozhou, Shantou, Jieyang, Pontianak;
  • sing1 - Chenghai.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 心
Mandarin Beijing /ɕin⁵⁵/
Harbin /ɕin⁴⁴/
Tianjin /ɕin²¹/
Jinan /ɕiẽ²¹³/
Qingdao /siə̃²¹³/
Zhengzhou /sin²⁴/
Xi'an /ɕiẽ²¹/
Xining /ɕiə̃⁴⁴/
Yinchuan /ɕiŋ⁴⁴/
Lanzhou /ɕĩn³¹/
Ürümqi /ɕiŋ⁴⁴/
Wuhan /ɕin⁵⁵/
Chengdu /ɕin⁵⁵/
Guiyang /ɕin⁵⁵/
Kunming /ɕĩ⁴⁴/
Nanjing /sin³¹/
Hefei /ɕin²¹/
Jin Taiyuan /ɕiəŋ¹¹/
Pingyao /ɕiŋ¹³/
Hohhot /ɕĩŋ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /ɕiŋ⁵³/
Suzhou /sin⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /ɕin³³/
Wenzhou /saŋ³³/
Hui Shexian /siʌ̃³¹/
Tunxi /sin¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /sin³³/
Xiangtan /sin³³/
Gan Nanchang /ɕin⁴²/
Hakka Meixian /sim⁴⁴/
Taoyuan /sim²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /sɐm⁵³/
Nanning /ɬɐm⁵⁵/
Hong Kong /sɐm⁵⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /sim⁵⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /siŋ⁴⁴/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /seiŋ⁵⁴/
Shantou (Teochew) /sim³³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /tim²³/
Rime
Character 心
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 心 (16)
Final (韻) 侵 (139)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 息林切
Baxter sim
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/siɪm/
Pan
Wuyun 		/sim/
Shao
Rongfen 		/sjem/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/sim/
Li
Rong 		/siəm/
Wang
Li 		/sĭĕm/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/si̯əm/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		xīn
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		sam1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 心
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		xīn
Middle
Chinese 		‹ sim ›
Old
Chinese 		/*səm/
English heart

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 心
Reading # 1/1
No. 13801
Phonetic
component 		心
Rime
group 		侵
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		心
Old
Chinese 		/*slɯm/

Definitions

心

  1. heart (Classifier: 顆／颗 m; 個／个 c; 粒 mn)
  2. mind
  3. thought; idea
  4. intention
  5. center; core
  6. (～宿) (Chinese astronomy) Heart (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions)
    Synonyms: 商 (shāng), 辰 (chén)

Synonyms

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (心):
  • → Japanese: 心(しん) (shin)
  • → Korean: 심(心) (sim)
  • → Vietnamese: tâm (心)

Others:

  • → Vietnamese: tim (“heart”)
  • → Zhuang: sim

References

Japanese

Kanji

心

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. heart
  2. mind
  3. core

Readings

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
心
こころ
Grade: 2
kun'yomi
Alternative spellings
情 (rare)
意 (rare)

⟨ko2ko2ro2⟩ → */kəkərə/ → /kokoro/

From Old Japanese 心 (ko2ko2ro2), ultimately from Proto-Japonic *kəkərə. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.[1]

Compare Okinawan 心 (kukuru).

Pronunciation

Noun

心(こころ) or 心(こゝろ) • (kokoro) 

  1. mind, heart, spirit, soul; thoughts, ideas
    心(こころ)の底(そこ)から ― kokoro no soko kara ― from the bottom of one's heart
    人(ひと)の心(こころ)を奪(うば)う ― hito no kokoro o ubau ― to steal someone's heart → to captivate someone
    • 2007 March 16, CLAMP, “Chapitre(シャピトル).134(ひゃくさんじゅうよん) 唯(ゆい)一(いつ)の存(そん)在(ざい) [Chapitre 134: The Only One]”, in ツバサ ＲＥＳＥＲＶｏｉｒ ＣＨＲｏＮｉＣＬＥ [Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle], volume 18 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN, pages 31–32:
      ‥‥それでも行(い)きます　小(シャオ)狼(ラン)君(くん)の心(こころ)を取(と)り戻(もど)す為(ため)に
      ‥‥Sore demo ikimasu Shaoran-kun no kokoro o torimodosu tame ni
      …Even so, I will go on, to get back Xiaolang-kun’s heart
  2. attention, mind, interest
    心(こころ)ここにあらず ― kokoro koko ni arazu ― absent minded
  3. heart, feelings, emotion, emotional state
    心(こころ)温(あたた)まる風(ふう)景(けい) ― kokoro atatamaru fūkei ― a heart warming situation
  4. wholeheartedness, sincerity, true heart
    心(こころ)のこもっていない ― kokoro no komotteinai ― not sincere
    心(こころ)のこもった ― kokoro no komotta ― sincere
    心(こころ)なき仕(し)業(わざ) ― kokoro naki shiwaza ― cruel deed
  5. sympathy, heart, consideration, generous disposition
    心(こころ)がない ― kokoro ga nai ― lacking sympathy and consideration
  6. a meaning, essence
    その心(こころ)が分(わ)かっていない ― sono kokoro ga wakatteinai ― not understanding what it really means
  7. an answer (to a riddle, etc.)
    その心(こころ)は ― sono kokoro wa ― the answer is
  8. the heart as an organ in the body
    Synonym: 心臓 (shinzō)
  9. the chest
    Synonym: 胸 (mune)
  10. the title of a book
    Synonym: 書名 (shomei)
Derived terms
Derived terms
Idioms

Proper noun

心(こころ) or 心(こゝろ) • (Kokoro) 

  1. a female given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
心
うら
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Old Japanese.

Cognate with 裏 (ura, “inside”) and 浦 (ura, “inlet”).

Pronunciation

Noun

心(うら) • (ura) 

  1. a heart, inner feelings
Derived terms

Prefix

心(うら) • (ura-) 

  1. expresses heartfelt feeling
Derived terms

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
心
しん
Grade: 2
on'yomi
Alternative spelling
芯 (center)

/simʉ/ → */ɕimʉ/ → /ɕiɴ/

From Middle Chinese 心 (MC sim).

The Buddhist sense is a translation of Pali and Sanskrit चित्त (citta).

Pronunciation

Noun

心(しん) • (shin) 

  1. a heart, mind, core
  2. a spirit, vitality
  3. inner strength, marrow
  4. the center of something:
    1. 心, 芯: the core (for example, of a fruit)
    2. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
  5. 心, 芯: a wick
  6. (Buddhism) citta: the ego or spirit
    Synonyms: 主観 (shukan), 精神 (seishin)
    Antonym: 色 (shiki)
  7. (Buddhism) Short for 心王 (shinnō): This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
  8. the heart as an organ in the body
  9. lead (as of a pencil)
  10. padding
  11. a companion, fellow
    Synonyms: 友達 (tomodachi), 仲間 (nakama)
  12. the center of focus:
    1. the important part
      Synonym: 主脳 (shunō)
    2. (theater) Alternative spelling of 真 (shin): This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
  13. a basis, foundation
    Synonyms: 基礎 (kiso), 根拠 (konkyo)

Affix

心(しん) • (shin) 

  1. Short for 心臓 (shinzō): heart as an organ in the body
  2. Short for 心頭 (shintō): heart, mind, spirit
  3. Short for 中心 (chūshin): center, middle

Proper noun

心(しん) • (Shin) 

  1. (Chinese astronomy) the Heart constellation, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions
    Synonyms: 商星 (Shōsei), 心宿 (Shinshuku), 中子星 (Nakagoboshi)
    Hypernyms: 青竜, 二十八宿
  2. a male or female given name
  3. a surname

Derived terms

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 心 (MC sim).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 심 (Yale: sìm)
Middle Korean
Text Eumhun
Gloss (hun) Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527 ᄆᆞᅀᆞᆷ (Yale: mòzòm) 심 (Yale: sìm)

Pronunciation

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

心 (eumhun 마음 심 (ma'eum sim))

  1. hanja form? of 심 (“heart; feeling; emotion”)

Compounds

Compounds

References

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Okinawan

Kanji

心

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
心
くくる
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Proto-Ryukyuan *kokoro.

Cognate with mainland Japanese 心(こころ) (kokoro).

Pronunciation

Noun

心(くくる) (kukuru) 

  1. a heart, mind, spirit
    Synonym: 肝 (chimu)
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
心
ふくまーみ
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From 肺 (fuku, “lung”) +‎ 豆 (māmi, “bean”).

Pronunciation

Noun

心(ふくまーみ) (fukumāmi) 

  1. (anatomy) a heart

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
心
しん
Grade: 2
on'yomi
Alternative spelling
芯

From Middle Chinese 心 (MC sim).

Pronunciation

Noun

心(しん) (shin) 

  1. the center
  2. 心, 芯: the core
  3. 芯: a wick
  4. a heart, mind, spirit
Derived terms
Derived terms

Old Japanese

Compounds

Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *kəkərə.

Noun

心 (ko2ko2ro2) (kana こころ)

  1. a heart, mind, spirit
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 14, poem 3466 [1]:
      麻可奈思美奴禮婆許登爾豆佐禰奈敝波己許呂乃緖呂爾能里弖可奈思母
      ma-kanasimi1 nureba ko2to2 ni ’du sanenape1ba ko2ko2ro2 no2 woro2 ni no2rite kanasi mo
      Sleeping with beautiful her, rumours spread; not sleeping heart-strings plucked in mine own sadness.
    • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 20, poem 4390:
      牟浪他麻乃久留爾久枳作之加多米等之以母加去去里波阿用久奈米加母
      muratama no2 kuru ni kugi1 sasi katame2to2si imo ka ko2ko2ro2 pa ayo1ku name2 ka mo
      [2][3]
  2. an emotion, feeling
  3. sympathy
  4. treachery
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Japanese: 心 (kokoro)

Etymology 2

Cognate with 裏 (ura, “inside”) and 浦 (ura, “inlet”).

Noun

心 (ura) (kana うら)

  1. one’s heart, inner feelings
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Japanese: 心 (ura)

Prefix

心 (ura-) (kana うら)

  1. expresses heartfelt feeling
Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Satake, Akihiro with Hideo Yamada, Rikio Kudō, Masao Ōtani, and Yoshiyuki Yamazaki (c. 759) Shin Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 3: Man’yōshū 3 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, published 2002, →ISBN.
  2. ^ “心”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  3. ^ “心”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months

Vietnamese

Han character

心: Hán Việt readings: tâm (思(tư)林(lâm)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5]
心: Nôm readings: tâm[1][2][4][6], tấm[3][7][4][6], tim[1][3], tăm[1]

  1. chữ Hán form of tâm (“heart; feeling”).

Compounds

Compounds

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nguyễn (2014).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Trần (2004).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bonet (1899).
  5. ^ Génibrel (1898).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
  7. ^ Hồ (1976).

Zhuang

Noun

心

  1. Sawndip form of sim (“heart”)
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