热心人 (rè xīn rén) — a warm-hearted person; someone who is enthusiastic and helpful

Definition

A 热心人 is a person who actively helps others out of genuine warmth, often a stranger or neighbor rather than a close friend. The word combines 热心 (warm-hearted, eager) with 人, so the helpfulness is the defining trait, not a long-term role.

noun
a warm-hearted personsomeone who is enthusiastic and helpful
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 热心人。
    Zhè wèi rè xīn rén bāng wǒ bǎ xíng li bān shàng le lóu.
    This warm-hearted person helped me carry my luggage upstairs.
  • 热心人，。
    Xiǎo qū lǐ yǒu hěn duō rè xīn rén, jīng cháng zhǔ dòng dǎ sǎo gōng gòng qū yù.
    There are many warm-hearted people in the neighborhood who often take the initiative to clean the public areas.
  • 热心人，。
    Duō kuī le nà wèi rè xīn rén, wǒ de qián bāo cái shī ér fù dé.
    Thanks to that warm-hearted person, I got my wallet back.

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.

热心warm-hearted
热rèwarm心xīnheart
偏正Modifier + head
人rénperson

A 热心人 is a 人 with a 心 that is 热, warm.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 熱; 热 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì熱rè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 熱 pairs 埶 with 火 (written as 灬) to show heat, while 埶 gives a sound.

Open 热 →

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.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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