民心 (mín xīn) — popular sentiment; the will of the people

Definition

Refers to the will or mood of ordinary people as a whole — what the public thinks and feels about an issue or government. Often paired with 得/失 ('to win/lose 民心').

noun
popular sentimentthe will of the people

Examples

  • 民心。
    Zhèng fǔ bì xū zhòng shì mín xīn.
    The government must pay attention to popular sentiment.
  • 民心。
    mín xīn De biàn huà wǎng wǎng fǎn yìng shè huì wèn tí.
    Changes in popular sentiment often reflect social issues.
  • 民心。
    Zhè xiàng zhèng cè dé dào le guǎng fàn de mín xīn zhī chí.
    This policy has received broad popular support.

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.

民mínpeople
心xīnheart

民 (people) and 心 (heart) mean the heart of the people.

Characters in this word

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

The early form of 民 shows an eye pierced by a sharp cross-shaped implement, possibly linked to an injured or unclear eye.

Open 民 →

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 →

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