真心
zhēnxīn · HSK 7
sincere
❤️ 真心 = 真 true/real + 心 heart — a true heart means sincere, genuine
真 means true or real; 心 means heart. Stack them and you get a true heart, which is exactly what sincerity is. The zhēn in zhēnxīn is the same zhēn as in 真 real.
真 — 匕 (spoon) over 目 (eye) over 八 (eight/base)
真 originally depicted a person or vessel used in ritual, conveying the idea of something genuine or true. Over time the form was reanalyzed as components like 匕, 目, and a base, but the core meaning of 'real, true, genuine' has remained stable since early bronze inscriptions.
心 — pictograph of a heart with chambers and aorta
心 is a pictograph showing a stylized heart, with strokes representing the organ's chambers and the aorta at the top. Originally meaning the physical heart, it broadened to cover mind, feelings, and intentions, since ancient Chinese thought located thinking and emotion in the heart.