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心中有鬼

Mandarin · pinyin xīn zhōng yǒu guǐ

to harbor ulterior motives (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

心: xīn · heart; mind, intelligence; soul; 5th lunar mansion, determinative star α Scorpii (Antares)
中: zhōng · central; center, middle; in the midst of; hit (target); attain
有: yǒu · have, own, possess; exist
鬼: guǐ · ghost; spirit of dead; devil; Kangxi radical 194; 23rd lunar mansion, determinative star θ Cancri

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Mandarin tones

1–1–3–3 · xin1 zhong1 you3 gui3

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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.

phrase

(idiomatic) synonym of 心裡有鬼 /心里有鬼 (xīnlǐyǒuguǐ)

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

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