心
sam1
The Cantonese word for heart is 心 (sam1), meaning the organ.
The term 心 covers both the anatomical and metaphorical concept of the heart. It is used in common expressions regarding emotions, such as 唔開心, which literally means 'not open heart' and is the standard way to say someone is unhappy or feeling down or 開心, which literally means 'open heart' and is a common way to express being happy or joyful. Furthermore, the compound 心肝 is often used in idioms or to refer to one's innermost feelings or most precious things, denoting affection or the core of one's being.
Meaning: an organ (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 心 is the standard term, 心臟 is a formal way to say the anatomical heart in Cantonese and is typically used in medical or scientific contexts. The term 心肝 denotes affection or the core of one's being.
How do you pronounce it?
sam1
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, if you want to call someone your 'sweetheart', you might call them your 心肝宝贝, which literally translates to 'heart and liver treasure'.
- In Cantonese, saying someone has a 'big heart' 心大 often refers to being careless or overly optimistic rather than being generous.
- Cantonese uses the term 心口 to refer to the chest area where the heart is located, literally meaning 'heart mouth'.
Examples in context
- 渠心卜卜咁跳。His heart beat rapidly.This sentence uses 心 to describe the physical beating of a heart.Tatoeba #12109782 by thesilhouette, translation #5073531 by jhomel
- 有人搞到你唔開心呀？Did someone break your heart?This sentence uses 心 in a metaphorical sense regarding being upset.Tatoeba #7832898 by nickyeow, translation #3633715 by Hybrid
- 肉體衰老，但係心境年輕。Old in body but young at heart.This sentence uses 心 to compare physical aging with a youthful state of mind.Tatoeba #5734139 by nickyeow, translation #5695966 by shea
- 佢好有愛心。He is very compassionate.
- 佢講出晒佢心口嘅話。He spoke his mind.
- 你係我心肝寶貝。You are my sweetheart.
- 佢好疼愛佢嘅心肝。He loves his child dearly.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jun Kit and Hiu Tung are discussing a health checkup.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit醫生話我個心好健康。yi1 sang1 waa6 ngo5 go3 sam1 hou2 gin6 hong1.The doctor said my heart is very healthy.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung咁就好好啦，唔使擔心。gam2 zau6 hou2 hou2 laa1, m4 sai2 dan1 sam1.That's great then, no need to worry.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit但我之前覺得個心跳得好快。daan6 hai6 ngo5 zi1 cin4 gok3 dak1 go3 sam1 tiu3 dak1 hou2 faai3.But I felt my heart beating very fast before.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung可能係因為你太緊張。ho2 nang4 hai6 jan1 wai6 nei5 taai3 gan2 zang1.Maybe it was because you were too nervous.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
