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心想事成 (xīn xiǎng shì chéng) — (phrase) may all your wishes come true (used as a blessing); (phrase) to have one's wishes fulfilled (as a statement of outcome)

Definition

A set phrase used as a blessing, like 'may all your wishes come true.' It can also describe an outcome when someone's hopes are actually fulfilled.

phrase
may all your wishes come true (used as a blessing)to have one's wishes fulfilled (as a statement of outcome)

Examples

  • ，心想事成！
    Xīn nián dào le, zhù nǐ xīn xiǎng shì chéng!
    The New Year is here; may all your wishes come true!
  • ，心想事成。
    Tā tōng guò zì jǐ de nǔ lì, zhōng yú xīn xiǎng shì chéng le.
    Through his own efforts, he finally had his wishes fulfilled.
  • ，心想事成！
    Gōng xǐ nǐ kǎo shàng dà xué, zhēn shì xīn xiǎng shì chéng!
    Congratulations on getting into university — your wishes have truly come true!

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

心想heart thinks
心xīnheart想xiǎngthink
主谓Subject + predicate
事成matters succeed
事shìmatter成chéngsucceed
主谓Subject + predicate

The “心” “想” and the “事” “成” together mean wishes come true.

Characters in this word

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
心心xīnheart, mind
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng想xiǎng
Same sound today

想 has 心 (heart, mind) below 相 (to look at); the shape shows the mind looking at or considering something, and 相 also gives the sound.

Open 想 →

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set PhrasesGreetings & Politeness

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