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实心 (shí xīn) — solid (not hollow); sincere, genuine (of character or feelings)

Definition

An adjective with two distinct senses: 'solid' (physically not hollow, e.g. a solid ball) and 'sincere, genuine' (of a person, words, or feelings). The two meanings are unrelated — pick by context.

adjective
solid (not hollow)sinceregenuine (of character or feelings)

Examples

  • 实心，。
    Zhè ge qiú shì shí xīn de, bú shì kōng xīn de.
    This ball is solid, not hollow.
  • 实心，。
    Tā shuō de dōu shì shí xīn huà, wǒ hěn xiāng xìn tā.
    Everything he says is sincere; I trust him.
  • 实心，。
    Tā shì yí gè shí xīn rén, zuò shì hěn tā shi.
    She is a sincere person and works dependably.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

实shísolid
心xīnheart

实 means solid and 心 means heart or core, so 实心 describes a solid center or a sincere character.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →

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
Personality & TraitsTexture & Quality

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