心

See also: 必

心 U+5FC3, 心 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5FC3 ← 忂 [U+5FC2] CJK Unified Ideographs 忄 → [U+5FC4]

⼼ U+2F3C, ⼼ KANGXI RADICAL HEART ← ⼻ [U+2F3B] Kangxi Radicals ⼽ → [U+2F3D]

Translingual

Stroke order

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

• Appendix:Chinese radical/心
• 伈, 𠖶, 吣, 𡉾, 𡚿, 抋, 沁, 𣅵, 𦙦, 杺, 𤆸, 𬌓, 𪻒, 𥘚, 𥹀, 𥿂, 𬚲, 𠴤, 𫴭, 訫, 𧺨, 𨊳, 𨠉, 鈊, 𪶚, 𩵽, 𩾽
• 吢, 𬐘, 𠓣, 孞, 𫲽, 芯, 𬅟, 𬌔, 𥥁, 𡧫, 𬜫, 𬔰, 窓, 𩂈, 𦵃, 𮪾, 𠼿, 𥯱, 𧃅, 𧀱, 𧂡, 𥌷, 𧮗, 𫻪, 𠪾, 𤵂, 𤻮, 虑, 𧆹, 闷, 𨶡
• 徳, 聴, 𠍴, 𠎝, 䧭, 䏋

Further reading

• KangXi: 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

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		心

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

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): xīn (xin¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄣ

  (Chengdu, SP): xin¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): sam¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhim¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): xin¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): sîm

  (Meixian, Guangdong): xim¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): xing¹
• Min Bei (KCR): séng
• Min Dong (BUC): sĭng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): sim

  (Teochew, Peng'im): sim¹ / sing¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): xin (T1)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): sin¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sin
    • Wade–Giles: hsin¹
    • Yale: syīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shin
    • Palladius: синь (sinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: xin¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: xin
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sam¹
    • Yale: sām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sem¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐm⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lhim¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬim³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: xin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sîm
    • Hakka Romanization System: xim´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: xim¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ɕim²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: xim¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ɕim⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: xing¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /ɕĩŋ¹¹/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: séng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /seiŋ⁵⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: sĭng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siŋ⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sim
    • Tâi-lô: sim
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sym
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɕim⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /ɕim³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: sim¹ / sing¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sim / sing
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sim³³/, /siŋ³³/

Note:

• sim1 - Chaozhou, Shantou, Jieyang, Pontianak;
• sing1 - Chenghai.

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: xin (T1)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕɪɲ⁵³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: sin¹
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /sin³³/
  • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /ɕin³³/

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 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 (Min Nan)	/sim⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/siŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/seiŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/sim³³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/tim²³/

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• Middle Chinese: /siɪm/

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
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/sim/
Shao Rongfen	/sjem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/sim/
Li Rong	/siəm/
Wang Li	/sĭĕm/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	xīn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sam1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*səm/

  (Zhengzhang): /*slɯm/

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. *[t] 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 mansion (one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions)

   Synonyms: 商 (shāng), 辰 (chén)

Compounds

• See 心/derived terms § Xīn.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (心):

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

Others:

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

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Japanese

Kanji

心

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: しん (shin, Jōyō)^{←しん (sin, historical)←しむ (simu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: しん (shin, Jōyō)^{←しん (sin, historical)←しむ (simu, ancient)}
• Kun: こころ (kokoro, 心, Jōyō); うら (ura, 心)
• Nanori: うち (uchi); きよ (kiyo); ご (go); ごり (gori); さね (sane); なか (naka); まこと (makoto); み (mi); むね (mune); もと (moto)

Compounds

• 心算(つもり) (tsumori)
• 稈心(みご) (migo)

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.

Compare Okinawan 心 (kukuru).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) こころ​ [kòkóróꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• (Tokyo) ここ​ろ [kòkóꜜrò] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ko̞ko̞ɾo̞]

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

心(こころ) • (kokoro) 

1. mind, heart, spirit, soul; thoughts, ideas
   • 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

   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

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

• See 心/derived terms § Kokoro.

Proper noun

心(こころ) • (Kokoro) 

1. a female given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
心
うら Grade: 2
irregular

From Old Japanese.

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

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うら​ [ùráꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ᵝɾa̠]

Noun

心(うら) • (ura) 

1. a heart, inner feelings

Prefix

心(うら) • (ura-) 

1. expresses heartfelt feeling

Derived terms

• See 心/derived terms § Ura.

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 siɪm).

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

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) し​ん [shíꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕĩɴ]

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)

2. a male or female given name
3. a surname

Derived terms

• See 心/derived terms § Shin.

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Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 心 (MC siɪm).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	심 (Yale: sìm)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[1]	ᄆᆞᅀᆞᆷ (Yale: mòzòm)	심 (Yale: sìm)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰim]
• Phonetic hangul: [심]

Hanja

Wikisource

心 (eumhun 마음 심 (ma'eum sim))

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

Compounds

• See 心/derived terms § Sim.

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

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Okinawan

Kanji

心

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• On: しん (shin)
• Kun: くくる (kukuru, 心); ふくまーみ (fukumāmi)

Etymology 1

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

From Proto-Ryukyuan *kokoro.

Cognate with mainland Japanese 心 (kokoro).

Pronunciation

• (Shuri-Naha) くくる [kùkúrú] (Heiban - [0])
• IPA^(key): [kukuɾu]

Noun

心 (hiragana くくる, rōmaji kukuru)

1. a heart, mind, spirit

   Synonym: 肝 (chimu)

Derived terms

• See 心/derived terms § Kukuru.

Etymology 2

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

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [fukumāmi]

Noun

心 (hiragana ふくまーみ, rōmaji 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 siɪm).

Pronunciation

• (Shuri-Naha) しん [shìn] (Heiban - [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɕiɴ]

Noun

心 (hiragana しん, rōmaji shin)

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

Derived terms

• See 心/derived terms § Shin 2.

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Old Japanese

Compounds

• 田心姫 (Tago₂ri-pi₁me₁)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *kəkərə.

Noun

心 (ko₂ko₂ro₂) (kana こころ)

1. a heart, mind, spirit
2. an emotion, feeling
   • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 14, poem 3466), text here

     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

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Derived terms

• See 心/derived terms § Ko2ko2ro2.

Descendants

• Japanese: 心 (kokoro)

Etymology 2

Possibly the eastern dialect form or a misreading of ko₂ko₂ro₂ above.

Noun

心 (ko₂ko₂ri) (kana ここり)

1. (regional, Southern Eastern Old Japanese) Same as コ^乙コ^乙ロ^乙 (ko₂ko₂ro₂) above
   • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 20, poem 4390), text here

     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 ko₂ko₂ri pa ayo₁ku name₂ ka mo

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Usage notes

Given this Eastern reflex, some scholars interpret the 里 as ⟨ro₂⟩ rather than ⟨ri⟩, thus giving the impression that the term is the same ko₂ko₂ro₂ used in other attestations. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Etymology 3

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

Noun

心 (ura) (kana うら)

1. heart, inner feelings

Descendants

• Japanese: 心 (ura)

Prefix

心 (ura-) (kana うら)

1. expresses heartfelt feeling

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Vietnamese

Han character

心: Hán Việt readings: tâm (思(tư)林(lâm)切(thiết))
心: Nôm readings: tâm, tấm, tim, tăm

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

Compounds

• See 心/derived terms § Tâm.

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Zhuang

Noun

心

1. Sawndip form of sim (“heart”)