Chinese word

语重心长

Pronunciation

Pinyinyǔ zhòng xīn cháng

Meaning

  • idiomoffer heartfelt advice

Example

妈妈语重心长地跟我说了几句。mā mā yǔ zhòng xīn cháng dì gēn wǒ shuō le jǐ jù

Mom offers me a few heartfelt words of advice.

Illustration for 语重心长 (offer heartfelt advice)

More examples

老师语重心长地对学生谈心，提醒他们要认真学习。lǎo shī yǔ zhòng xīn cháng dì duì xué shēng tán xīn tí xǐng tā men yào rèn zhēn xué xí

The teacher gives the students heartfelt advice and reminds them to study hard.

Core concept

A serious, caring voice whose words carry the weight of deep concern.

Common phrases

  • 对孩子语重心长地劝说duì hái zi yǔ zhòng xīn cháng dì quàn shuō

    give a child heartfelt advice

  • 语重心长的话yǔ zhòng xīn cháng de huà

    sincere words of advice

Similar words

谆谆教导zhūn zhūn jiào dǎo: Earnestly teaching and guiding someone with repeated explanations and reminders.
良言相劝liáng yán xiāng quàn: Kindly advising someone in order to help them accept a needed correction.
循循善诱xún xún shàn yòu: Explaining something patiently in stages so that someone gradually understands it.

Definition in Chinese

说话语气沉重且发自真心，常用于表达忠告、关怀或规劝。shuō huà yǔ qì chén zhòng qiě fā zì zhēn xīn cháng yòng yú biǎo dá zhōng gào guān huái huò guī quàn

Word origin

语 (yǔ, "speech") + 重 (zhòng, "weighty") + 心 (xīn, "heart") + 长 (cháng, "lasting") combines weighty speech with a heart whose care endures.

Usage tips

  • In Chinese, the idiom describes the speaker's manner and feeling, not whether the advice is objectively right, so it can report sincere concern without endorsing every point.

Opposites

  • 敷衍了事fū yán liǎo shìgo through the motionsidiom

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