良心

• Pinyin: liáng xīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 良 = 亡 + 艮 (good/virtuous — fine quality); 心 = heart radical (emotions/moral centre)

Meaning

Conscience; moral sense; the innate moral awareness that guides ethical behaviour.

A foundational concept in Chinese moral philosophy. Phrases include 凭良心 (according to one's conscience), 良心发现 (a sudden pang of conscience), 没良心 (heartless/unscrupulous), 昧着良心 (going against one's conscience). Central to Confucian ethics, where 良知良能 (innate moral knowledge and capacity) forms the basis of moral cultivation.

Examples

1. 他最终凭借良心说出了真相，尽管那意味着承担巨大的风险。 In the end, he spoke the truth guided by his conscience, even though it meant taking enormous risks.
2. 一个企业如果丧失了良心，再好的商业模式也难以持久。 If a company loses its conscience, even the best business model won’t last.
3. 这部小说深刻探讨了人在面对利益诱惑时如何坚守良心的主题。 This novel deeply explores how people hold on to their conscience when tempted by the lure of profit.

Usage Guide

Context: morality, ethics, daily life

Tone: earnest

Do Say

• 他凭良心做事，从不因短期利益而牺牲原则。(He acts according to his conscience and never sacrifices his principles for short-term gain.)
• 良心是一个人最不可或缺的内在品质，任何时候都不应将其抛弃。(Conscience is the most indispensable inner quality of a person — it should never be abandoned at any time.)

Don't Say

• 用'良心'形容制度或机制的合理性 — 良心专指个体的道德感知，形容制度合理应用'公正'、'完善'或'合理'

Origin & History

良 (good/virtuous) + 心 (heart/mind) — the good heart; the moral core within a person

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal