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操心 (cāo xīn) — to worry about, to take trouble over (for someone)

Definition

操心 implies taking on the burden of worry for someone, often through effort or care, unlike 担心 which is just feeling uneasy. It pairs with 为 + person/thing and is more active and effortful than 牵挂 or 挂念, which describe quiet, distant concern.

verb
to worry aboutto take trouble over (for someone)

Examples

  • 操心，。
    Nǐ cāo xīn zhè me duō, duì shēn tǐ bù hǎo.
    You worry so much; it's bad for your health.
  • 操心。
    Mā ma zǒng shì wèi wǒ de gōng zuò cāo xīn.
    Mom always worries about my work.
  • 操心，。
    Nǐ bú yòng wèi zhè jiàn shì cāo xīn, wǒ lái chǔ lǐ.
    You don't need to worry about this matter; I'll handle it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

操cāotake care
心xīnheart/mind

"操" take care and "心" heart/mind combine to mean worry over something.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
喿
喿zào操cāo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 手 shows a hand, indicating an action done by hand. The right part 喿 gives the sound.

Open 操 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 5Emotions & Feelings5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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