心臟 / 心脏
xīnzàng
The English word 'heart' can be translated into several Chinese forms, such as 心臟 / 心脏 (xīnzàng). If unsure, use 心臟 / 心脏.
Meaning: an organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 心臟 / 心脏 | xīnzàng | |
| 心臟 / 心脏 | sim-chōng | Hokkien |
The term refers to the physical organ. In a metaphorical sense, the character for heart can be part of expressions like 放在心上 (fàng zài xīn shàng), which means to 'take it to heart'. Additionally, the term 心思 (xīn sī) uses the concept of heart to refer to someone's thoughts, ideas or thinking process.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the word for heart is щин (xin) or галэбу (galebu). In Hokkien, the term is 心臟 / 心脏 (sim-chōng).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is sim-chōng.
Did you know?
- The Dungan language uses the word щин (xin), which sounds like Chinese, but it is written using a Cyrillic alphabet because Dungan is a Sinitic language spoken in Central Asia.
- While English speakers use the 'heart' for emotions, Chinese speakers often use the 'liver' or 'gallbladder' to describe intense feelings like anger or courage.
- The term 心 (xīn) is used in the phrase 小心 (xiǎo xīn), which literally means 'small heart' but is used to tell someone to 'be careful'.
Examples in context
- 他的心脏病需要手术治疗。His heart disease requires surgical treatment.
- 我正在考虑这个问题，费了很多心思。I'm thinking about this problem carefully, it has taken a lot of mental effort.
- 我的心愿是世界和平。My heartfelt desire is world peace.
- 她是一个很热心的人，总是乐于助人。She is a very warm-hearted person who is always willing to help others.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heart” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
