随心所欲

隨心所欲

suíxīnsuǒyù

idiom HSK 7 #7,498

Meanings

1 to follow one's heart's desire
2 to do as one pleases
3 to act at will

Characters

to follow; to go along with

that which (classical particle)

to desire; to wish

Examples

退休以后，他可以随心所欲地生活了。

Tuìxiū yǐhòu, tā kěyǐ suíxīnsuǒyù de shēnghuó le.

After retiring, he can live however he pleases.

有了钱，就可以随心所欲地买东西。

Yǒu le qián, jiù kěyǐ suíxīnsuǒyù de mǎi dōngxi.

With money, you can buy whatever you want.

孩子不能随心所欲，要有规矩。

Háizi bù néng suíxīnsuǒyù, yào yǒu guījǔ.

Children can't do whatever they want; they need rules.

Tips

history

This idiom comes from the Analerta of Confucius (《论语》). At age 70, Confucius said: 七十而从心所欲不逾矩 — 'At seventy I could follow my heart's desire without overstepping the rules.'

usage

随心所欲 can be positive (freedom) or negative (reckless self-indulgence), depending on context. It's often followed by 地 (de) when used as an adverb.

Stroke Order

随 suí

心 xīn

所 suǒ

欲 yù