心肝

Mandarin · pinyin xīn gān

Meanings

  1. darling
  2. (in negative sentences) heart
  3. humanity
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Characters in this entry

心
xīn · heart; mind, intelligence; soul; 5th lunar mansion, determinative star α Scorpii (Antares)
肝
gān · liver
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–1 · xin1 gan1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

  1. (figurative) conscience
  2. (figurative) sincere affection
  3. (figurative) darling; honey; sweetheart
  4. (figurative) character (mental and ethical traits)
  5. (figurative, Southern Min, Eastern Min) mind

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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