胸臆 (xiōng yì) — (literary) one's heart; innermost feelings; (literary) the chest (as the seat of emotions)

Definition

Literary word for the chest as the seat of one's deepest feelings. Almost always appears in writing about pouring out emotions, as in 直抒胸臆.

noun
(literary) one's heartinnermost feelings(literary) the chest (as the seat of emotions)

Examples

  • 胸臆。
    Tā xiě zhè shǒu shī shì wèi le zhí shū xiōng yì.
    He wrote this poem to pour out his feelings.
  • ，胸臆。
    Dú tā de wén zhāng, wǒ néng gǎn shòu dào tā xiōng yì zhōng de bēi fèn.
    Reading his articles, I can feel the grief and indignation in his heart.
  • 胸臆。
    Nà fēng xìn jìn qíng dì tǔ lù le zuò zhě de xiōng yì.
    That letter fully expressed the writer's innermost feelings.

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.

胸xiōngchest
臆yìinner heart

胸 is the chest and 臆 the inner heart, together referring to one's feelings.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
匈
匈xiōng胸xiōng
Same sound today

胸 adds 肉 (meat/flesh) to the original form 匈, which provides the sound.

Open 胸 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròubody
Sound part声符shēngfú
意
意yì臆yì
Same sound today

臆 pairs 肉, showing a connection to the body, with 意, which gives the sound.

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