TongTong
Sign in

动心 (dòng xīn) — to be attracted to (someone); to have one's heart stirred; to be tempted or show strong interest (in an opportunity or thing)

Definition

动心 means to be emotionally stirred or tempted — typically used for a person ('falling for someone') or an enticing opportunity. It emphasizes an emotional pull rather than a calm rational interest.

to be attracted to (someone)to have one's heart stirredto be tempted or show strong interest (in an opportunity or thing)

Examples

  • ，动心。
    Kàn dào tā de dì yī yǎn, wǒ jiù duì nà ge nǚ hái dòng xīn le.
    The first time I saw her, I was attracted to that girl.
  • ，动心。
    Tā cóng lái méi jiàn guò zhè me hǎo de gōng zuò jī huì, yǒu diǎn dòng xīn.
    He's never seen such a good job opportunity — he's a bit interested.
  • ，。
    Wǒ nián qīng shí duì hěn duō rén dòng guò xīn, dàn zhǐ yǒu tā ràng wǒ xiǎng jié hūn.
    When I was young, I was attracted to many people, but only she made me want to get married.

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
心xīnheart

"动" stir and "心" heart: the heart is stirred, showing interest.

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

Open 心 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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