挂心 (guà xīn) — to worry about, to be anxious about, to keep in mind

Definition

Verb meaning 'to worry about / keep in mind' — the object is what weighs on you. Often used to reassure someone (别挂心, 'don't worry').

verb
to worry aboutto be anxious aboutto keep in mind

Examples

  • 挂心。
    Tā yì zhí zài guà xīn hái zi de jiàn kāng.
    He has been worrying about his child's health.
  • 。
    Tā wèi zhè jiàn shì guà le bù shǎo xīn.
    He worried quite a bit about this matter.
  • 挂心，。
    Bié guà xīn, wǒ huì zhào gù hǎo zì jǐ de.
    Don't worry, I'll take care of myself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

挂guàhang
心xīnheart

The action 挂 is to hang or keep attached, and 心 is the heart, so the image is one's heart being kept on something.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 掛; 挂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺘Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卦
卦guà掛guà
Same sound today

In the traditional form 掛, the hand part ⺘ and the sound part 卦 show hooking or hanging something with the hand; this form was originally a popular form of 挂.

Open 挂 →

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 →

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