Chinese word

良心

Pronunciation

Pinyinliáng xīn

Meaning

  • nounconscience

Example

他没有良心，总是骗别人。tā méi yǒu liáng xīn zǒng shì piàn bié rén

He has no conscience and is always deceiving others.

Illustration for 良心 (conscience)

More examples

出于良心，他主动把多找的钱还给了顾客。chū yú liáng xīn tā zhǔ dòng bǎ duō zhǎo de qián huán gěi le gù kè

Guided by his conscience, he took the initiative to return the extra change to the customer.

Core concept

A moral compass inside a person that guides conduct and can stir a sense of responsibility or remorse.

Common phrases

  • 以良心为准yǐ liáng xīn wèi zhǔn

    be guided by one's conscience

  • 按照良心行事àn zhào liáng xīn xíng shì

    act according to one's conscience

Similar words

良知liáng zhī: A moral awareness that helps a person tell right from wrong.
罪恶感zuì è gǎn: Guilt and distress caused by knowing that a past action was wrong.
责任zé rèn: Something that a person must do or bear as a duty.
道德dào dé: A system of beliefs about right behavior and thought for a person or society.

Definition in Chinese

对是非善恶有判断并因此在行为上感到责任或愧疚的内在意识duì shì fēi shàn è yǒu pàn duàn bìng yīn cǐ zài xíng wèi shàng gǎn dào zé rèn huò kuì jiù de nèi zài yì shí

Word origin

良 (liáng, "good") + 心 (xīn, "heart") form 良心 (liángxīn, "conscience"), picturing moral judgment as something held within the heart.

Usage tips

  • Saying that someone lacks 良心 (liángxīn, "conscience") is usually a strong moral criticism, not a neutral statement that the person feels guilty.

Word lists with this word