身心
shēnxīn · HSK 7
body and mind
🧍 身心 = 身 body + 心 heart/mind = body and mind together
身 means body and 心 means heart or mind. Stacked, they cover a whole person: 身心 is the physical and mental sides at once, as in 身心健康 (healthy in body and mind).
身 — pictograph of a pregnant body
身 is a pictograph originally depicting a person with a swollen belly, representing a pregnant woman in profile. Over time the meaning broadened from 'pregnancy' or 'torso' to refer to the body in general, and by extension oneself or one's person.
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.