心肠

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

Significado

corazón (carácter); entrañas

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).

Ejemplos

1. 她生来就是一副好心肠，见不得别人受苦。
2. 他表面上粗犷，实则心肠极软，常常帮助有困难的人。
3. 做事要有原则，但也不必把心肠练得太硬，懂得体恤他人。

Guía de uso

Contexto: character description, everyday, literature

Tono: neutral

Correcto

• 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.)

Incorrecto

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

Origen e historia

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

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal