心肠

• Pinyin: xīn cháng
• Hanzi breakdown: 心 = heart (pictograph); 肠 = 月 (flesh radical) + 昜 (to expand — intestines that wind and expand)

Meaning

The heart; one's nature or disposition; inner feelings or character. Refers to a person's emotional nature or moral temperament.

Commonly paired with adjectives to describe a person's character: 好心肠 (kind-hearted), 狠心肠 (hard-hearted), 软心肠 (soft-hearted). It is more colloquial and emotionally charged than 性格 (personality) or 品格 (character).

Examples

1. 她生来就是一副好心肠，见不得别人受苦。 She was born with a kind heart and can’t stand to see others suffer.
2. 他表面上粗犷，实则心肠极软，常常帮助有困难的人。 He may look rough on the outside, but he’s actually very soft-hearted and often helps people in need.
3. 做事要有原则，但也不必把心肠练得太硬，懂得体恤他人。 You should act with principles, but you don’t have to harden your heart—learn to be considerate of others.

Usage Guide

Context: character description, everyday, literature

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这位老师心肠好，学生有任何困难都愿意找她倾诉。(This teacher is kind-hearted; students are willing to confide in her whenever they face difficulties.)
• 他并非铁石心肠之人，只是习惯了用冷漠来掩盖内心的脆弱。(He is not a hard-hearted person; he has simply grown accustomed to using aloofness to conceal his inner vulnerability.)

Don't Say

• 他的心肠很聪明 — 心肠 describes emotional character, not intelligence; use 头脑 or 智慧 for intellect

Origin & History

心 (heart) + 肠 (intestines) — the ancients believed both the heart and intestines were the seat of emotions; together they refer to one's inner nature

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal