Chinese word

心里

Pronunciation

Pinyinxīn lǐ

Meaning

  • nounin one's heart

Example

我心里很高兴。wǒ xīn lǐ hěn gāo xìng

I feel very happy inside.

Illustration for 心里 (in one's heart)

More examples

他表面上很平静，心里却很紧张。tā biǎo miàn shàng hěn píng jìng xīn lǐ què hěn jǐn zhāng

He seems calm on the surface, but he is very nervous inside.

Core concept

The private space where a person's thoughts and feelings exist.

Common phrases

  • 心里不舒服xīn lǐ bù shū fú

    feel uncomfortable inside

  • 心里明白xīn lǐ míng bái

    know in one's heart

Similar words

内心nèi xīn: A person's hidden inner feelings and thoughts.
心底xīn dǐ: Strong feelings or thoughts held deep within the heart.
心里头xīn lǐ tou: The feelings and thoughts a person carries inside without saying them.

Definition in Chinese

表示存在于内心的感受、想法或态度，通常指不能从外表看出的真实情绪或想法。biǎo shì cún zài yú nèi xīn de gǎn shòu xiáng fǎ huò tài dù tōng cháng zhǐ bù néng cóng wài biǎo kàn chū de zhēn shí qíng xù huò xiáng fǎ

Word origin

心里 (xīnlǐ, "in the heart") combines 心 (xīn, "heart") + 里 (lǐ, "inside"), so the heart is treated as a place containing a person's inner experience.

Usage tips

  • The heart in this expression is not limited to romance; the word also covers everyday thoughts, opinions, and attitudes.

Other meanings

  • inner thoughtsnoun
  • feelingsnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word