衷心

zhōng xīn · HSK 7

heartfelt

❤️ 衷心 = 衷 (中 middle tucked inside 衣 robe = inner feelings) + 心 heart

衷 buries 中 (middle) inside 衣 (robe), giving inner feelings worn close to the body; pair it with 心 (heart) and you get a doubled from-the-heart word: heartfelt, wholehearted, cordial.

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.

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