心田 (xīn tián) — heart (as the seat of emotions and moral character); intention; one's inner thoughts

Definition

Literary noun for the heart as one's inner moral/emotional ground — "the field of the heart" where thoughts and character are cultivated. More poetic and written than the everyday 心.

noun
heart (as the seat of emotions and moral character)intentionone's inner thoughts
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，心田。
    Tā xīn dì shàn liáng, xīn tián chún jìng rú quán shuǐ.
    He has a kind heart; his mind is as pure as spring water.
  • 心田，。
    Xiū xíng zhī rén cháng yǐ xīn tián wèi tián, bō zhòng shàn niàn.
    Practitioners often take the heart-mind as a field and sow good thoughts.
  • 心田。
    Tā de xīn tián zhōng shǐ zhōng huái zhe duì gù tǔ de juàn liàn.
    Her heart has always held a deep attachment to her homeland.

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.

心xīnheart
田tiánfield

心 gives the sense of heart and 田 pictures it as a field, together naming the inner mind.

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 →

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

田 looks like a field divided into four sections.

Open 田 →

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