细心

• Pinyin: xì xīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 细 = 纟+ 田 (silk thread + field — fine, careful); 心 = heart radical — mind, attention, intention

Meaning

Careful; attentive; thorough. Describes someone who pays close attention to detail and acts with care.

A positive character trait. Used to describe people who handle tasks with diligence and attention, avoiding mistakes through careful observation. Contrasts with 粗心 (careless, inattentive). Common in professional, educational, and interpersonal contexts.

Examples

1. 她做事非常细心，每一份文件都反复核对，从不出差错。 She’s very meticulous—she double-checks every document repeatedly and never makes mistakes.
2. 这位护士对患者极为细心，注意到了其他人忽略的症状。 This nurse is extremely attentive to patients and noticed symptoms that others overlooked.
3. 细心的读者会发现，作者在全书中埋下了许多伏笔。 Careful readers will notice that the author planted many hints throughout the book.

Usage Guide

Context: work, education, relationships, health, character description

Tone: appreciative

Do Say

• 儿科实习时，医生提醒实习生：儿童常说不清症状，细心观察面色、精神和哭声，往往更可靠。(During paediatric internships, doctors remind interns that children often cannot clearly describe symptoms, so careful observation of complexion, energy, and crying is often more reliable.)
• 培训课上，专家说细心可通过训练培养：做清单、关键点双重确认、定期复盘。(At the training course, the expert said that carefulness can be developed through training: making checklists, double-checking key points, and reviewing regularly.)

Don't Say

• 细心 interchangeably with 细腻 — 细心 means careful and attentive (a behavioural trait), while 细腻 refers to fineness of texture or subtlety in artistic or emotional expression; they are not synonymous

Origin & History

细 (fine, minute, careful) + 心 (heart, mind — attention and care) — attending carefully with one's mind and heart

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal