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贴心 (tiē xīn) — (stative verb / adjective) considerate, thoughtful, caring (in a way that makes others feel warm and cared for)

Definition

贴心 (tiēxīn) means 'considerate, thoughtful' — describes a person or behavior that anticipates others' needs and makes them feel cared for. Often used for service, words, or small acts of kindness.

adjective
(stative verb / adjective) consideratethoughtfulcaring (in a way that makes others feel warm and cared for)

Examples

  • 贴心，。
    Tā shì yí gè hěn tiē xīn de rén, zǒng shì jì zhù bié rén de xǐ hào.
    She is a very thoughtful person, always remembering others' preferences.
  • 贴心，。
    Fú wù yuán de tài dù hěn tiē xīn, ràng wǒ gǎn jué hěn shū fu.
    The waiter's attitude was very considerate, making me feel comfortable.
  • 贴心，。
    Tā shuō de měi yí jù huà dōu hěn tiē xīn, gǎn dòng le dà jiā.
    Every word he said was so thoughtful that it moved everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

贴tiēattach
心xīnheart

贴 and 心 suggest something close to the heart, hence intimate and considerate.

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 貼; 贴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn貼tiē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貼 pairs 貝, a shell, with 占 as a sound part; the simplified 贴 is a later shorthand.

Open 贴 →

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
Personality & Traits

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