伤心

• Pinyin: shāng xīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 伤 = 亻(person) + wound component, meaning to injure; 心 = pictograph of a heart

Meaning

Sad; heartbroken; grieved. Describes deep emotional pain or sadness.

Stronger than 难过 (sad), 伤心 implies genuine heartache — the kind of sadness that comes from loss, betrayal, or deep disappointment. Used as a verb (你别伤心 = don't be sad) or an adjective (很伤心 = very sad). Common in conversations about relationships, loss, and emotional distress.

Examples

1. 听到这个消息，她非常伤心。 When she heard the news, she was extremely sad.
2. 别伤心了，一切都会好起来的。 Don't be sad — everything will get better.
3. 他因为失去了最好的朋友而伤心了很久。 He was heartbroken for a long time after losing his best friend.

Usage Guide

Context: emotions, relationships, loss, comfort

Tone: empathetic

Do Say

• 看到你这么伤心，我也很难过。(Seeing you so heartbroken makes me sad too.)
• 别为这件事伤心了。(Don't be sad about this.)

Don't Say

• 我今天考试没考好，太伤心了。(For minor disappointments like a bad test score, 伤心 is too strong — use 难过 or 失望 instead.)

Origin & History

伤 means to wound or injure; 心 means heart. Literally: a wounded heart — describing emotional pain that feels like a physical injury to the heart.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal