下心
したごころ · shitagokoro · JLPT N1 · noun
purpose
🎭 下 under + 心 heart = a motive kept below the surface, hidden from view
下 means under or below, and 心 means heart or mind. A motive held beneath the heart is one the person keeps out of sight.
下 — horizontal line 一 + mark below
下 is an indicative character: a long horizontal line represents a reference level, and a shorter stroke placed beneath it points to the area below. The original meaning 'below, down' comes directly from this spatial diagram, and it later extended to verbs like 'descend' and 'lower'.
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.