信心百倍 (xìn xīn bǎi bèi) — with unbounded confidence; extremely confident

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'a hundredfold confidence' — used as a predicate or adverbially (信心百倍地) to describe someone acting with full, multiplied confidence in success.

idiom
with unbounded confidenceextremely confident

Examples

  • 信心百倍。
    Tā duì zhè cì kǎo shì xìn xīn bǎi bèi.
    He is extremely confident about this exam.
  • ，信心百倍。
    Bǐ sài qián, duì yuán men xìn xīn bǎi bèi dì zǒu shàng qiú chǎng.
    Before the match, the team members walked onto the field with unbounded confidence.
  • ，信心百倍。
    Jǐn guǎn kùn nan chóng chóng, tā réng rán xìn xīn bǎi bèi.
    Despite numerous difficulties, he remains extremely confident.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

信心confidence
信xìntrust心xīnheart
偏正Modifier + head
百倍hundredfold
百bǎihundred倍bèifold
偏正Modifier + head

信心 is confidence and 百倍 means a hundredfold, together describing confidence multiplied greatly.

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
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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 →

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
一一yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái百bǎi
Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

Open 百 →

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
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
咅
咅pǒu倍bèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

倍 has 人 on the left and 咅 on the right; 人 points to a person, while 咅 gives the sound.

Open 倍 →

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