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省心 (shěng xīn) — (verb-object) to save worry, to make things easier or less troublesome; (stative verb) worry-free, trouble-saving, easy to deal with

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to save (someone) worry' or 'worry-free'. Often used as a result or compliment: 这孩子很省心 ('this kid is easy to deal with').

(verb-object) to save worry, to make things easier or less troublesome(stative verb) worry-freetrouble-savingeasy to deal with

Examples

  • ，省心。
    Huàn le xīn xǐ yī jī, wǒ shěng xīn duō le.
    After changing to a new washing machine, I have a lot less to worry about.
  • ，。
    Zuò dì tiě qù gōng sī, kě yǐ shěng hěn duō xīn.
    Taking the subway to the office saves a lot of worry.
  • ，省心。
    Shì qing ān pái hǎo yǐ hòu, jiā zhǎng jiù shěng xīn le.
    Once things are arranged, parents become worry-free.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

省shěngsave/avoid
心xīnheart

The sense of 省 as save or avoid applied to 心 as heart gives freedom from worry.

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.

The upper part of 省 is a changed form of 生, which gave the sound, while the lower 目 is an eye; the picture showed looking closely or inspecting.

Open 省 →

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
Emotions & Feelings

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