Chinese word

虚心

Pronunciation

Pinyinxū xīn

Meaning

  • adjectivehumble

Example

他很虚心，愿意听别人的意见。tā hěn xū xīn yuàn yì tīng bié rén de yì jiàn

He is very humble and willing to listen to other people's opinions.

Illustration for 虚心 (humble)

More examples

她虚心向经验丰富的同事请教。tā xū xīn xiàng jīng yàn fēng fù de tóng shì qǐng jiào

She humbly asks an experienced colleague for advice.

Core concept

An open space in the mind that leaves room for other views and keeps the self from taking center stage.

Common phrases

  • 虚心听取意见xū xīn tīng qǔ yì jiàn

    humbly listen to opinions

  • 虚心请教xū xīn qǐng jiào

    humbly seek advice

  • 虚心学习xū xīn xué xí

    humbly learn

Similar words

谦虚qiān xū: Modest about one's abilities or achievements and not eager to praise oneself.
开明kāi míng: Open to new ideas and different views, with a flexible way of thinking.

Definition in Chinese

不自满、不自以为是，乐于听取别人意见并据此修正自己想法的形容词。bú zì mǎn bú zì yǐ wéi shì lè yú tīng qǔ bié rén yì jiàn bìng jù cǐ xiū zhèng zì jǐ xiáng fǎ de xíng róng cí

Word origin

虚 (xū, "empty") + 心 (xīn, "heart") presents a heart with room left in it, an image of modestly accepting correction instead of treating one's own view as final.

Usage tips

  • English humble can describe low status or simple origins, whereas 虚心 (xūxīn, "humble") is especially useful when the point is a person's response to advice or correction.

Other meanings

  • reservedadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word