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 (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

• Index: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 31302
• 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

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: xīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄣ
    • Wade–Giles: hsin1
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shin
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sin
    • 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/

---

• 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

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)
• 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

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

⟨ko₂ko₂ro₂⟩ → */kəkərə/ → /kokoro/

From Old Japanese 心 (ko₂ko₂ro₂, “heart, mind, spirit”), from Proto-Japonic *kəkərə.

Compare Okinawan 心 (kukuru).

Alternative forms

• 情, 意

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
• (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 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　小狼(シャオラン)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
3. heart, feelings, emotion, emotional state
4. wholeheartedness, sincerity, true heart
5. sympathy, heart, consideration, generous disposition
6. a meaning, essence
7. an answer (for example, to a riddle)
8. the heart (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.

Verb

心(こころ)する • (kokoro suru) suru (stem 心(こころ)し (kokoro shi), past 心(こころ)した (kokoro shita))

1. to caution, to be careful
   • c. 951–953, Gosen Wakashū (book 16, poem 1138)

     心(こころ)して稀(まれ)に吹(ふ)きつる秋風(あきかぜ)を山(やま)おろしにはなさじとぞ思(おも)ふ

     kokoro shite mare ni fukitsuru akikaze o yamaoroshi ni wa nasaji to zo omou

     (please add an English translation of this example)

   Synonyms: 気をつかう (ki o tsukau), 気をつける (ki o tsukeru), 注意する (chūi suru)

2. to feel a certain emotion

Conjugation

Conjugation of "心する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	心し	こころし	kokoro shi
Continuative (連用形)	心し	こころし	kokoro shi
Terminal (終止形)	心する	こころする	kokoro suru
Attributive (連体形)	心する	こころする	kokoro suru
Hypothetical (仮定形)	心すれ	こころすれ	kokoro sure
Imperative (命令形)	心せよ¹ 心しろ²	こころせよ¹ こころしろ²	kokoro seyo¹ kokoro shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	心される	こころされる	kokoro sareru
Causative	心させる 心さす	こころさせる こころさす	kokoro saseru kokoro sasu
Potential	心できる	こころできる	kokoro dekiru
Volitional	心しよう	こころしよう	kokoro shiyō
Negative	心しない	こころしない	kokoro shinai
Negative continuative	心せず	こころせず	kokoro sezu
Formal	心します	こころします	kokoro shimasu
Perfective	心した	こころした	kokoro shita
Conjunctive	心して	こころして	kokoro shite
Hypothetical conditional	心すれば	こころすれば	kokoro sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

Classical conjugation of "心す" (サ行変格活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	心せ	こころせ	kokorose
Continuative (連用形)	心し	こころし	kokorosi
Terminal (終止形)	心す	こころす	kokorosu
Attributive (連体形)	心する	こころする	kokorosuru
Realis (已然形)	心すれ	こころすれ	kokorosure
Imperative (命令形)	心せよ	こころせよ	kokoroseyo
Key constructions
Negative	心せず	こころせず	kokorosezu
Contrasting conjunction	心すれど	こころすれど	kokorosuredo
Causal conjunction	心すれば	こころすれば	kokorosureba
Conditional conjunction	心せば	こころせば	kokoroseba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	心しき	こころしき	kokorosiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	心しけり	こころしけり	kokorosikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	心しつ	こころしつ	kokorositu
Perfect tense (natural event)	心しぬ	こころしぬ	kokorosinu
Perfect-continuative tense	心せり 心したり	こころせり こころしたり	kokoroseri kokorositari
Volitional	心せむ	こころせむ	kokorosemu

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

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

Noun

心(うら) • (ura) 

1. heart, inner feelings

Derived terms

• 占(うら), 卜(うら) (ura, “divination, fortunetelling”)
• 心(うら)もなし (ura mo nashi)

Prefix

心(うら) • (ura-) 

1. prefixed to terms to express a heartfelt feeling

Derived terms

• 心(うら)寂(さび)しい, 心(うら)淋(さび)しい (urasabishii)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
心
しん Grade: 2
on’yomi

/sim/ → /simʉ/ → */ɕimʉ/ → /ɕiɴ/

From Middle Chinese 心 (MC siɪm).

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

Alternative forms

• (center): 芯

Pronunciation

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

Noun

心(しん) • (shin) 

1. heart, mind, core
2. spirit, vitality
3. inner strength, marrow
4. the center of something:
   1. 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. 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 (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. heart (organ in the body)
2. heart (mind, spirit)
3. 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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Old Japanese

Etymology 1

From Proto-Japonic *kəkərə.

Noun

心 (ko₂ko₂ro₂) (kana こころ)

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

     麻可奈思美 奴礼婆許登尓豆 佐祢奈敝波 己許呂乃緒呂尓 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

• 吾が心 (aga ko₂ko₂ro₂)

Descendants

• Japanese: 心 (こころ, kokoro)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

心 (ko₂ko₂ri) (kana ここり)

1. (regional, Eastern Old Japanese) heart, mind, spirit
2. (regional, Eastern Old Japanese) emotion, feeling

Derived terms

• 田心姫 (Tago₂ri-pi₁me₁)

Etymology 3

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

Noun

心 (ura) (kana うら)

1. heart, inner feelings

Derived terms

• 占, 卜 (ura, “divination, fortunetelling”)
• 心もなし (ura mo nasi)

Descendants

• Japanese: 心 (うら, ura)

Prefix

心 (ura-) (kana うら)

1. prefixed to terms to express a 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. Hán tự form of tâm (“heart; feeling”).

Compounds

• See 心/derived terms § Tâm.