心 xīn — heart; mind, feelings, intention; the centre of something (中心)

Pinyin

• xīn (first tone, high and level)

heart; mind, feelings, intention; the centre of something (中心)

Character breakdown

• 心shape partA single pictograph: the sac of the heart with the vessels above it.

Mnemonic

The organ drawn plainly: one curved stroke for the sac, three dots for the vessels standing above it. Chinese puts thinking here as well as feeling, so the heart sits under 想 "to think" and inside 您. On the left of a character it stands up and narrows into 忄 — 忙, 快 — and 小心, a "small heart", is the everyday warning to be careful.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 心

• 担心/擔心dānxīn (first tone, high and level)to worry, to be anxious about
• 关心/關心guānxīn (first tone, high and level)to care about, to be concerned for
• 小心xiǎoxīn (third tone, dipping)to be careful, to watch out for
• 放心fàngxīn (fourth tone, falling)to set one’s mind at rest, to stop worrying
• 耐心nàixīn (fourth tone, falling)patience; patient
• 伤心/傷心shāngxīn (first tone, high and level)sad, heartbroken, grieved

Radical 心 — other characters

• 想xiǎng (third tone, dipping)to think, to reflect; to want to, to would like to; to miss someone
• 爱/愛ài (fourth tone, falling)to love; to like, to be fond of; love, affection
• 忘wàng (fourth tone, falling)to forget; to overlook, to leave behind
• 怕pà (fourth tone, falling)to fear, to be afraid of; to be afraid that; probably, I dare say