放心 fàngxīn — to set one’s mind at rest, to stop worrying

Meanings

1. 1

   to set one’s mind at rest, to stop worrying

   Literally to put 放 the heart 心 down. It is the answer to 担心: one person worries, the other says 你放心. As a two-part verb it takes no object — the person you feel easy about is introduced with 对.

   verb

Character breakdown

• 放

  fàng (fourth tone, falling)

  to put, to place, to lay down; to let go, to release, to set free; to let out, to give a holiday

  8 strokes⿰方攵Radical 攴
• 心

  xīn (first tone, high and level)

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

  4 strokesRadical 心

Example sentences

• 你放心，我一定会来。/你放心，我一定會來。Nǐ (third tone, dipping) fàngxīn, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yídìng (second tone, rising) huì (fourth tone, falling) lái. (second tone, rising)···

  Don’t worry — I will definitely come.

• 妈妈不放心我一个人去。/媽媽不放心我一個人去。Māma (first tone, high and level) bú (second tone, rising) fàngxīn (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) qù. (fourth tone, falling)···

  Mum is uneasy about my going on my own.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我放心你。

  Correct我对你很放心。

  放心 already contains its object — the 心 you are putting down — so a second one cannot follow. Who you feel easy about is marked with 对 before the verb.

Similar words

Words containing 放

• 放fàng (fourth tone, falling)to put, to place, to set down
• 放弃/放棄fàngqì (fourth tone, falling)to give up, to abandon (a plan, right, opportunity)

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
• 耐心nàixīn (fourth tone, falling)patience; patient
• 伤心/傷心shāngxīn (first tone, high and level)sad, heartbroken, grieved