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耐心 (nài xīn) — (adjective) patient; (noun) patience

Definition

As an adjective it describes how someone calmly waits or handles a slow/difficult situation (耐心等); as a noun it names that quality itself. 忍耐 emphasizes active self-restraint; 耐心 is the calm, willing steadiness.

adjective
patient
noun
patience

Examples

  • 耐心。
    Tā duì bìng rén hěn nài xīn.
    She is very patient with patients.
  • 耐心。
    Tā de nài xīn ràng dà jiā dōu hěn gǎn dòng.
    His patience moved everyone.
  • 耐心。
    Qǐng nài xīn děng yí huì r.
    Please wait patiently.

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.

耐nàiendure
心xīnmind

耐 means to endure and 心 means mind; together they describe a calm, patient mind.

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
寸寸cùn
Sound part声符shēngfú
而
而ér耐nài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

耐 puts 而 on the left and 寸 on the right: 而 gives the sound, and 寸 gives the sense.

Open 耐 →

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
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