心非 (xīn fēi) — hypocrisy; saying one thing but thinking another; duplicity

Definition

Literary idiom for hypocrisy: one's heart contradicts one's words. Used to denounce saying one thing while thinking or doing another.

idiom
hypocrisysaying one thing but thinking anotherduplicity

Examples

  • 心非,,。
    Tā zhè ge rén zǒng shì xīn fēi, zuǐ shàng shuō de hǎo tīng, xīn lǐ què lìng yǒu dǎ suàn.
    He is always duplicitous; he says nice things but has other plans in mind.
  • 心非,。
    Wǒ men yào jǐng tì nà xiē xīn fēi de rén, tā men de huà bù kě xìn.
    We should be wary of those who are hypocritical; their words are not trustworthy.
  • 心非。
    Tā de xīn fēi xíng wéi zuì zhōng bèi dà jiā kàn chuān le.
    His hypocritical behavior was eventually seen through by everyone.

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 is the mind, and 非 means not or different; together they picture thoughts that are not what is spoken.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 非 is drawn from two wings facing opposite directions. It later came to be used for going against or not being.

Open 非 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.