Chinese word

心理

Pronunciation

Pinyinxīn lǐ

Meaning

  • nounfeelings

Example

你了解他的心理吗？nǐ liáo jiě tā de xīn lǐ ma

Do you understand his feelings?

Illustration for 心理 (feelings)

More examples

考试后，他出现了严重的心理问题。kǎo shì hòu tā chū xiàn le yán zhòng de xīn lǐ wèn tí

After the exam, he developed serious psychological problems.

Core concept

What happens inside a person, from a passing feeling to a lasting way of thinking.

Common phrases

  • 心理压力xīn lǐ yā lì

    psychological stress

  • 心理问题xīn lǐ wèn tí

    psychological problems

Similar words

心情xīn qíng: The emotional condition a person has at a given time or over a period.
情绪qíng xù: An identifiable feeling, such as anger or sadness, or a rise and fall in feelings.
心里xīn lǐ: What a person is feeling or thinking inside.
心态xīn tài: The way a person mentally approaches and responds to things.

Definition in Chinese

指人内心的情绪、意图与认知过程，既可指短期的心情，也常用于表达持久的心理倾向。zhǐ rén nèi xīn de qíng xù yì tú yǔ rèn zhī guò chéng jì kě zhǐ duǎn qī de xīn qíng yě cháng yòng yú biǎo dá chí jiǔ de xīn lǐ qīng xiàng

Word origin

The compound 心理 (xīnlǐ, "mental life") joins 心 (xīn, "heart") with 理 (lǐ, "principle"), pointing to the patterns that connect inner feelings and thoughts.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may hear "psychology" as an academic subject, but this noun is also used in ordinary conversation without implying a scientific discussion.

Opposites

  • 生理shēng lǐphysiologynoun

Related words

  • 心理学家xīn lǐ xué jiāpsychologistnoun
  • 心理治疗xīn lǐ zhì liáopsychotherapynoun

Word lists with this word