心爱

• Pinyin: xīn ài
• Hanzi breakdown: 心 = 心 (heart — pictograph of a heart); 爱 = 爫 + 冖 + 友 (hand + cover + friend — to cherish and protect)

Meaning

Beloved; cherished; dearly loved. Describes something or someone held close to the heart with deep affection.

Used as an attributive adjective before a noun (心爱的人, 心爱的东西). Carries a warm, tender emotional tone. Common in literary, romantic, and personal expression.

Examples

1. 他把心爱的吉他捐给了家乡的学校，希望孩子们能从中找到音乐的乐趣。 He donated his beloved guitar to his hometown school, hoping the children would find joy in music through it.
2. 老人悉心保存着那张心爱的老照片，那是他与妻子相遇时留下的唯一影像。 The elderly man carefully kept that cherished old photo—it was the only image left from when he first met his wife.
3. 失去心爱的宠物，对她而言是一段难以释怀的悲痛经历。 Losing her beloved pet was a heartbreaking experience she found hard to move past.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, personal expression, everyday

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 他终于鼓起勇气，向心爱的人表达了压抑已久的情感。(He finally mustered the courage to express to his beloved the feelings he had long suppressed.)
• 这件心爱的外套陪伴了她整个大学时光，她始终舍不得丢弃。(This cherished coat had accompanied her throughout her university years, and she could never bring herself to discard it.)

Don't Say

• 我心爱这本书 — 心爱 is an attributive adjective, not a verb; say 我非常喜爱这本书 or 这是我心爱的书

Origin & History

心 (heart) + 爱 (love/cherish) — something that one loves with all one's heart

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal