心魄 (xīn bó) — soul; spirit (literary)

Definition

Literary compound: 'heart and soul' as a single idea — one's deepest inner being, often stirred or struck. 魄 (pò) is the corporeal/spiritual counterpart to 魂 (hún, soul), and 心魄 emphasizes being emotionally shaken to the core.

noun
soulspirit (literary)

Examples

  • 心魄。
    Nà fú huà de qì shì zhèn hàn le wǒ de xīn bó.
    The momentum of that painting shook my soul.
  • 心魄。
    Tā de yǎn shén zhí jī wǒ de xīn bó.
    Her gaze struck directly into my soul.
  • 心魄。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō jì lù le yí gè mín zú de xīn bó.
    This novel records the soul of a nation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

心xīnheart
魄pòsoul

心 and 魄 both point to the inner spirit, so together they mean soul.

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 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 魄 →

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