心胸

xīnxiōng

noun HSK 7 #12,015

Meanings

1 breadth of mind; tolerance; open-mindedness
2 ambition; aspiration

Characters

chest; breast; mind

Literally 'heart and chest' — the inner space of one's mind. A big 心胸 means a generous, tolerant person; a narrow 心胸 means petty.

Examples

做领导要有宽广的心胸。

Zuò lǐngdǎo yào yǒu kuānguǎng de xīnxiōng.

A leader should have a broad mind.

心胸狭窄的人很难交到朋友。

Xīnxiōng xiázhǎi de rén hěn nán jiāo dào péngyou.

Narrow-minded people have difficulty making friends.

Tips

usage

心胸 is often paired with size words: 心胸宽广/开阔 (broad-minded), 心胸狭窄/狭隘 (narrow-minded). The idiom 宰相肚里能撑船 (a prime minister's belly can hold a boat) describes the same quality — magnanimity.

Stroke Order

心 xīn

胸 xiōng