心
heart · mind · spirit · heart radical (no. 61)
Details
Description
Heart/Mind - the center of emotion, thought and spirit.
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
Heart (base form)
Cultural Context
Etymology
Pictograph of the heart. Center of emotions and thoughts.
Symbolism
Emotion, spirit, sincerity. In Japanese culture, 'kokoro' is broader than Western 'mind'.
Spiritual Meaning
Seat of spirit, emotion, and will - most important spiritual concept in Japanese culture. Source of virtues like sincerity.
Anime & Manga
鋼の錬金術師
Fullmetal Alchemist
Questions where 'heart' resides, the relationship between soul and body
View on Amazon →ソードアート・オンライン
Sword Art Online
Depicts the existence of 'heart' in virtual worlds
View on Amazon →Games
キングダム ハーツ
Kingdom Hearts
Action RPG themed around 'heart'. Bonds of hearts and battle against darkness
View on Amazon →UNDERTALE
Undertale
RPG themed on choices of the heart - 'nobody has to die'
View on Amazon →Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
安心立命
あんしんりつめい
spiritual peace and enlightenment; keeping an unperturbed mind through faith; spiritual peace and enlightenment
以心伝心
いしんでんしん
telepathy; tacit understanding; thought transference; telepathy
意馬心猿
いばしんえん
it is hard to keep one's worldly desires and passions in check; it is hard to keep one's worldly desires and passions in check
一意専心
いちいせんしん
single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with all one's heart; single-mindedly
一心同体
いっしんどうたい
being one in body and soul; of one flesh; two hearts beating as one; being one in body and soul
一心不乱
いっしんふらん
wholeheartedly; with heart and soul; intently; wholeheartedly
疑心暗鬼
ぎしんあんき
suspicion will raise bogies; once you suspect something, everything else will look suspicious; jumping at shadows; suspicion will raise bogies
虚心坦懐
きょしんたんかい
with an open and calm mind; with no preconceived notions; without reserve; with an open and calm mind
自己中心
じこちゅうしん
selfishness; egotism; egoism; selfishness
小心翼々
しょうしんよくよく
very timid; very nervous; faint-hearted; very timid
心神耗弱
しんしんこうじゃく
diminished capacity; diminished responsibility; legally unaccountable (e.g. due to mental illness, drugs, alcohol, etc.); diminished capacity
心頭滅却
しんとうめっきゃく
clearing one's mind of all worldly thoughts; clearing one's mind of all worldly thoughts
誠心誠意
せいしんせいい
in all sincerity; with one's whole heart; whole-hearted devotion; in all sincerity
彫心鏤骨
ちょうしんるこつ
laborious work; lucubration; lucubrations; laborious work
人面獣心
じんめんじゅうしん
beast in human form; beast in human form
心悸亢進
しんきこうしん
palpitations; tachycardia; palpitations
苦心惨憺
くしんさんたん
taking great pains; taking great pains
多情仏心
たじょうぶっしん
fickle but kind-hearted; fickle but kind-hearted
心神喪失
しんしんそうしつ
of unsound mind; of unsound mind
心霊現象
しんれいげんしょう
psychic phenomenon; psychic phenomenon
心機一転
しんきいってん
changing one's attitude; turning over a new leaf; getting a fresh start; changing one's attitude
異体同心
いたいどうしん
being of one mind; acting in one accord; behaving in perfect harmony; being of one mind
焦心苦慮
しょうしんくりょ
worrying oneself (about); being anxious (about); fidgeting (about); worrying oneself (about)
心猿意馬
しんえんいば
(being unable to control) one's worldly desires and passions; (being unable to control) one's worldly desires and passions
心願成就
しんがんじょうじゅ
earnest prayers being answered; realization of one's earnest wishes; earnest prayers being answered
人心一新
じんしんいっしん
complete change in public sentiment; leading the thought of the people to an entirely different channel; complete change in public sentiment
人心収攬
じんしんしゅうらん
winning the hearts of the people; capturing public sentiment; winning the hearts of the people
胆大心小
たんだいしんしょう
being bold and courageous, but also careful and meticulous; being bold and courageous, but also careful and meticulous
野心満々
やしんまんまん
burning with ambition; highly ambitious; burning with ambition
老婆心切
ろうばしんせつ
grandmotherly solicitude for another's welfare; excessive solicitude; grandmotherly solicitude for another's welfare
心身一如
しんしんいちにょ
body and mind as one; mind-body unity; body and mind as one
人心恟々
じんしんきょうきょう
panic-stricken (people); frightened (masses); alarmed; panic-stricken (people)
一大決心
いちだいけっしん
momentous (crucial) decision; momentous (crucial) decision
一味同心
いちみどうしん
(people) working together with one mind; (people) working together with one mind
鬼面仏心
きめんぶっしん
having the face of a devil and the heart of Buddha; having a stern face but a tender heart; having the face of a devil and the heart of Buddha
協心戮力
きょうしんりくりょく
combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with); combined (concerted) efforts
虚心平気
きょしんへいき
with an open and calm mind; without reserve; with utmost candor; with an open and calm mind
心外千万
しんがいせんばん
being totally upset (by); being completely nonplussed (by); being mortified (at); being totally upset (by)
心象風景
しんしょうふうけい
imagined landscape; scenery in one's mind's eye; imagined landscape
深層心理
しんそうしんり
deep psyche; unconscious mind; depth psychology; deep psyche
世道人心
せどうじんしん
(public) morals and sentiments; (public) morals and sentiments
専心一意
せんしんいちい
single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with one's heart and soul; single-mindedly
道心堅固
どうしんけんご
being of firm (unshakable) faith and strict practice; being of firm (unshakable) faith and strict practice
発菩提心
ほつぼだいしん
deciding to embrace Buddhism; deciding to seek enlightenment; seeking to have religious awakening; deciding to embrace Buddhism
戮力協心
りくりょくきょうしん
combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with); combined (concerted) efforts
鉄心石腸
てっしんせきちょう
will of iron; will of iron
匪石之心
ひせきのこころ
steadfastness; firmness in one's conviction; having a heart that does not change as easily as a stone rolls about; steadfastness
雄心勃々
ゆうしんぼつぼつ
aspiring; ambitious; aspiring
一億一心
いちおくいっしん
national unity (esp. during wartime); national unity (esp. during wartime)
鬼手仏心
きしゅぶっしん
compassionate ruthlessness; merciless scalpel of a merciful surgeon; a demon's hand and a Buddha's heart; compassionate ruthlessness
Proverbs & Idioms
初心忘るべからず
しょしんわするべからず
Never forget beginner's mind
Stay humble and eager to learn
Poetry
小倉山 峰のもみぢ葉 心あらば 今ひとたびの みゆき待たなむ
Poem #26 from Hyakunin Isshu
心あてに 折らばや折らむ 初霜の おきまどはせる 白菊の花
Poem #29 from Hyakunin Isshu
ひさかたの 光のどけき 春の日に しづ心なく 花の散るらむ
Poem #33 from Hyakunin Isshu
人はいさ 心も知らず ふるさとは 花ぞ昔の 香に匂ひける
Poem #35 from Hyakunin Isshu
あひ見ての のちの心に くらぶれば 昔は物を 思はざりけり
Poem #43 from Hyakunin Isshu
心にも あらでうき世に ながらへば 恋しかるべき 夜半の月かな
Poem #68 from Hyakunin Isshu
長からむ 心も知らず 黒髪の 乱れてけさは 物をこそ思へ
Poem #80 from Hyakunin Isshu