心如刀割

xīnrú-dāogē

idiom

Meanings

HSK 5

听到母亲去世的消息，他心如刀割。

Tīngdào mǔqīn qùshì de xiāoxi, tā xīnrú-dāogē.

Hearing of his mother's death, his heart was torn with grief.

HSK 7-9

看着孩子受苦，父母心如刀割。

Kàn zhe háizi shòukǔ, fùmǔ xīnrú-dāogē.

Watching their child suffer, the parents felt their hearts cut to pieces.

usage

Reserved for real, severe grief - bereavement, serious illness of loved ones. Using it for small disappointments sounds theatrical.

心 xīn

如 rú

刀 dāo

割 gē