动人心弦 (dòng rén xīn xián) — to deeply touch someone's emotions; heart-stirring

Definition

A vivid, literary phrase meaning something (a film, speech, or artwork) stirs deep emotions — stronger than everyday 感动, often used to praise art, music, or performance.

verb
to deeply touch someone's emotionsheart-stirring

Examples

  • 动人心弦，。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng dòng rén xīn xián, ràng hěn duō guān zhòng gǎn dòng dé liú lèi.
    This film deeply touched the audience's heartstrings, moving many to tears.
  • 动人心弦，。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng dòng rén xīn xián, quán chǎng xiǎng qǐ le rè liè de zhǎng shēng.
    His speech tugged at everyone's heartstrings, and the whole audience burst into warm applause.
  • 动人心弦，。
    Nà fú huà dòng rén xīn xián, lìng rén jiǔ jiǔ bù néng wàng huái.
    That painting stirred the heart so deeply that people couldn't forget it for a long time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

动dòngstir
人心弦a person's heartstrings
人rénperson心xīnheart弦xiánstring
偏正Modifier + head

动 means stir, and 人心弦 means a person's heartstrings; the image is emotions being stirred like strings inside someone.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
玄
玄xuán弦xián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

弦 uses 弓 (bow) to show what it is about and 玄 to show how it is pronounced.

Open 弦 →

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