TongTong
Sign in

分心 (fēn xīn) — to be distracted, to divert one's attention; (polite formula) May I trouble you (to do sth.); Would you mind (doing sth.)

Definition

Two meanings: 'to be distracted / lose focus' (verb), and a polite formula before asking a favor, meaning 'May I trouble you…' — used with 您, not casually.

verb
to be distractedto divert one's attention(polite formula) May I trouble you (to do sth.)Would you mind (doing sth.)

Examples

  • 分心。
    Shàng kè de shí hou bú yào fēn xīn.
    Don't get distracted during class.
  • ，。
    Tā zuò zuò yè shí fēn le xīn, suǒ yǐ xiě cuò le.
    He got distracted while doing homework, so he wrote it wrong.
  • 分心。
    fēn xīn Nín bāng wǒ ná yí xià kuài dì.
    May I trouble you to get the package for me?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

分fēndivide
心xīnattention

“分” means divide and “心” means attention, so attention is divided.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.