心
heart · mind · spirit · heart radical (no. 61)
Details
Description
Heart/Mind - the center of emotion, thought and spirit.
Stroke Order
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.
Component Breakdown
Heart (base form)
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
以心伝心
いしんでんしん
telepathy; tacit understanding; thought transference
意馬心猿
いばしんえん
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
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
一心不乱
いっしんふらん
wholeheartedly; with heart and soul; intently
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
虚心坦懐
きょしんたんかい
with an open and calm mind; with no preconceived notions; without reserve
自己中心
じこちゅうしん
selfishness; egotism; egoism
小心翼々
しょうしんよくよく
very timid; very nervous; faint-hearted
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.)
心頭滅却
しんとうめっきゃく
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
彫心鏤骨
ちょうしんるこつ
laborious work; lucubration; lucubrations
人面獣心
じんめんじゅうしん
beast in human form
心悸亢進
しんきこうしん
palpitations; tachycardia
苦心惨憺
くしんさんたん
taking great pains
多情仏心
たじょうぶっしん
fickle but kind-hearted
心神喪失
しんしんそうしつ
of unsound mind
心霊現象
しんれいげんしょう
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
異体同心
いたいどうしん
being of one mind; acting in one accord; behaving in perfect harmony
焦心苦慮
しょうしんくりょ
worrying oneself (about); being anxious (about); fidgeting (about)
心猿意馬
しんえんいば
(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
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
人心収攬
じんしんしゅうらん
winning the hearts of the people; capturing public sentiment
胆大心小
たんだいしんしょう
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
老婆心切
ろうばしんせつ
grandmotherly solicitude for another's welfare; excessive solicitude
心身一如
しんしんいちにょ
body and mind as one; mind-body unity
人心恟々
じんしんきょうきょう
panic-stricken (people); frightened (masses); alarmed
一大決心
いちだいけっしん
momentous (crucial) decision
一味同心
いちみどうしん
(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
協心戮力
きょうしんりくりょく
combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)
虚心平気
きょしんへいき
with an open and calm mind; without reserve; with utmost candor
心外千万
しんがいせんばん
being totally upset (by); being completely nonplussed (by); being mortified (at)
心象風景
しんしょうふうけい
imagined landscape; scenery in one's mind's eye
深層心理
しんそうしんり
deep psyche; unconscious mind; depth psychology
世道人心
せどうじんしん
(public) morals and sentiments
専心一意
せんしんいちい
single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with one's heart and soul
道心堅固
どうしんけんご
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
戮力協心
りくりょくきょうしん
combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)
鉄心石腸
てっしんせきちょう
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
雄心勃々
ゆうしんぼつぼつ
aspiring; ambitious
一億一心
いちおくいっしん
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
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
Maple leaves on the peak of Ogura, if you have any heart, wait for one more imperial visit before you fall.
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
If I pick one it will be by guess alone — the first frost has fallen and I cannot tell it from the white chrysanthemums.
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
On a spring day when the light falls so gently, why should the blossoms scatter with such restless hearts?
人はいさ 心も知らず ふるさとは 花ぞ昔の 香に匂ひける
As for people, I cannot know their hearts — but in my old village the blossoms are fragrant as they always were.
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
Compared with how my heart feels now, after meeting you, I had no idea before what longing was.
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
If against my will I linger on in this wretched world, I shall surely long for tonight's midnight moon.
長からむ 心も知らず 黒髪の 乱れてけさは 物をこそ思へ
I do not know whether your heart will last, and this morning my black hair is as tangled as my thoughts.
Anime & Manga
鋼の錬金術師
Fullmetal Alchemist
Questions where 'heart' resides, the relationship between soul and body
ソードアート・オンライン
Sword Art Online
Depicts the existence of 'heart' in virtual worlds
僕の心のヤバイやつ
The Dangers in My Heart
A well-known work with 心 in its Japanese title.
心が叫びたがってるんだ。
The Anthem of the Heart
A well-known work with 心 in its Japanese title.
るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-
Rurouni Kenshin
A well-known work with 心 in its Japanese title.
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 →Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 心 mean in Japanese?
心 means heart, mind, spirit, heart radical (no. 61). Heart/Mind - the center of emotion, thought and spirit.
How do you read 心?
On'yomi: シン (SHIN). Kun'yomi: こころ、-ごころ (kokoro, gokoro).
How many strokes does 心 have?
心 has 4 strokes. Its radical is 心 (heart).
Is 心 a good kanji for a tattoo?
心 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means heart, mind, spirit, heart radical (no. 61). Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.