好心

• Pinyin: hǎo xīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 好 = 女 + 子 (good); 心 = heart radical

Meaning

Good intentions; kind heart; benevolence. Refers to sincere goodwill motivating an action.

Often used in phrases acknowledging someone's kind motives, even when the outcome is poor (好心办坏事 — well-intentioned but counterproductive). Also used to appeal to someone's compassion: 好心人 (kind-hearted person).

Examples

1. 他好心帮忙，却因为方法不对把事情搞复杂了。 He meant well in trying to help, but because he went about it the wrong way, he made things more complicated.
2. 邻居好心送来了一锅热汤，让她非常感动。 The neighbor kindly brought over a pot of hot soup, which really moved her.
3. 你的好心我心领了，但这件事还是让我自己来处理吧。 I appreciate your kindness, but I’d rather handle this myself.

Usage Guide

Context: kindness, intentions, interpersonal

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 他出于好心才这样做，你别误会他。(He did it out of good intentions — don't misunderstand him.)
• 谢谢你的好心，我会记在心里的。(Thank you for your kindness — I'll keep it in my heart.)

Don't Say

• 好心 as a direct compliment to describe someone's character: say 他是个好心人 or 他心地善良 rather than 他好心

Origin & History

好 (good) + 心 (heart) — good heart, indicating kind intentions

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal