Definition
心肝 literally means 'heart and liver', but as a term of endearment it is used like 'darling' or 'sweetheart', especially between lovers or from parents to children. It also refers to one's conscience or moral sense (良心), and colloquially can mean 'guts' or 'nerve' (心肝儿). The word carries strong emotional weight and is intimate in tone.
n.
darlingsweetheartconsciencemoral sense(colloquial) gutsnerve
Examples
- ：'心肝。'Māma duì háizi shuō: 'Nǐ shì wǒ de xīn gān.'Mother says to the child: 'You are my darling.'
- 心肝，。Zhège rén méiyǒu xīn gān, lián fùmǔ dōu bù guǎn.This person has no conscience; he doesn't even care about his parents.
- ，。Tā zhēn yǒu xīn gān, gǎn yí ge rén qù tànxiǎn.He really has guts; he dares to go exploring alone.
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