财迷心窍 (cái mí xīn qiào) — obsessed with money; blinded by greed

Definition

Idiom meaning 'blinded by greed' — literally 'money has bewitched the heart-orifices'. Describes someone so obsessed with money that they've lost sound judgment. Used as a predicate or to modify a person/action.

idiom
obsessed with moneyblinded by greed

Examples

  • 财迷心窍，。
    Tā zhēn shì cái mí xīn qiào le, wèi le zhuàn qián shén me huài shì dōu gān dé chū lái.
    He's really blinded by greed; he'll do anything for money.
  • 财迷心窍。
    Yí gè cái mí xīn qiào de rén shì bú huì kǎo lǜ bié rén de gǎn shòu de.
    A person obsessed with money won't consider others' feelings.
  • 财迷心窍。
    Zhè zhǒng cái mí xīn qiào de zuò fǎ zuì zhōng huì hài le zì jǐ.
    This kind of money-grubbing behavior will eventually harm oneself.

Origin

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 財; 财 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái財cái
Same sound today

The traditional form 財 has 貝 (shell) next to 才, which gives the sound; the simplified 财 is a later shorthand.

Open 财 →

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
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
米
米mǐ迷mí
Same sound today

迷 uses 辵, the walking part, and 米, which gives the sound.

Open 迷 →

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 →

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 竅; 窍 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave
Sound part声符shēngfú
敫
敫jiǎo竅qiào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 竅 combines 穴, meaning cave, with 敫 for the sound; the simplified 窍 is a shorthand.

Open 窍 →

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