Meaning of 心里
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- chest
- heart; mind
How to use 心里
心里 is used for what someone feels or thinks inside, often things they do not say out loud. It usually comes before verbs like 想 (xiǎng), 有 (yǒu), or adjectives of feeling. Example: 我心里很高兴。(Wǒ xīnli hěn gāoxìng.) I feel very happy inside.
心 (xīn) means heart and 里 (lǐ) means inside, so 心里 is simply "inside the heart." Think of it as the place where your private thoughts and feelings live.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 心里 with 心理 (xīnlǐ, psychology), which sounds the same but uses 理 instead of 里. Use 心里 for your inner feelings and 心理 for the field of psychology or mental state in a formal sense, as in 心理学 (xīnlǐxué).
心里 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
心 xīn · heart · 4 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
里 lǐ · lining · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 心里.
| 这里 | zhèlǐ | here |
| 那里 | nàlǐ | there; that place |
| 哪里 | nǎlǐ | where?; somewhere |
| 家里 | jiā li | home |
| 里边 | lǐbian | inside |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | to be careful; to take care |
| 开心 | kāixīn | to feel happy; to rejoice |
| 关心 | guānxīn | to be concerned about; to care about |
| 中心 | zhōngxīn | center; heart; core |
| 放心 | fàngxīn | to feel relieved; to feel reassured |
| 心情 | xīnqíng | mood; frame of mind |
| 心中 | xīnzhōng | central point; in one's thoughts |
Questions about 心里
What does 心里 mean?
心里 (xīnlǐ) means "chest; heart; mind" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 心里?
心里 is made of 2 characters: 心 (4 strokes), 里 (7 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 心里 an HSK word?
Yes. 心里 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 心里 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 心里 is written 心裡.
Is the 里 in 心里 pronounced with a full third tone?
In everyday speech 里 is often light, so you will hear xīnli with a neutral tone. The dictionary lists both xīnlǐ and xīnli, and both are understood.
How is 心里 different from just saying 心 (xīn)?
心 alone can mean the heart as an organ or the heart as a concept. 心里 adds the idea of location, inside the heart or mind, so it fits phrases like 心里想 (xīnli xiǎng), to think to oneself.