肺腑之言

fèifǔzhīyán
idiom #40,668

Meanings

  1. 1 words from the bottom of one's heart
  2. 2 sincere, heartfelt words

Examples

HSK 3
Zhè shì wǒ de fèifǔzhīyán, xīwàng nǐ néng tīng jìnqù.
These are my heartfelt words - I hope you'll take them in.
HSK 3
Tā shuō de měi yī jù dōu shì fèifǔzhīyán.
Every sentence he spoke came from the heart.
HSK 6
Tīng wán mǔqīn de fèifǔzhīyán, tā bùjīn liúxià le yǎnlèi.
Listening to his mother's heartfelt words, he couldn't help but shed tears.

Tips

history
From Bai Juyi's (白居易) Tang-dynasty poem 《代书诗一百韵寄微之》: 肺腑都无隔,形骸两不羁 - 'between our hearts there is no barrier.' 肺腑 (lungs and organs) stood for the innermost self.
culture
In traditional Chinese medicine and rhetoric, 肺腑, the internal organs, represent the deepest, most private self (like 'from the bottom of my heart' in English). Used when stressing sincerity, often paired with 推心置腹.

Stroke Order

fèi
zhī
yán