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心动 (xīn dòng) — (noun) heartbeat; a flutter of the heart (literal or figurative)

Definition

Literally 'heart moves' — an excited flutter, often romantic. Compared with 激动 (agitation/excitement), 心动 is gentler and quieter: a single stirring of the heart rather than visible emotional intensity.

noun
heartbeata flutter of the heart (literal or figurative)

Examples

  • 心动。
    Nà zhǒng xīn dòng ràng wǒ jiǔ jiǔ bù néng píng jìng.
    That heartbeat made me unable to calm down for a long time.
  • 心动。
    Tā dì yī cì gǎn shòu dào le zhēn zhèng de xīn dòng.
    She felt a true flutter of the heart for the first time.
  • 心动。
    Zhè duàn yīn yuè dài lái le yì zhǒng qí miào de xīn dòng.
    This piece of music brings a wonderful heartbeat/tremor.

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.

心xīnheart
动dòngmove

The heart 心 moves 动, capturing a flutter or being emotionally stirred.

Characters in this word

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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