Meaning of 用心
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- motive
- intention
- to be diligent or attentive
- careful
How to use 用心
Most often 用心 describes putting real effort and attention into a task, often before a verb or with 很. It can also mean someone's motive, usually in set phrases like 用心良苦 (yòngxīn liángkǔ, to have good intentions behind something). Example: 他学习很用心。(Tā xuéxí hěn yòngxīn.) He studies very diligently.
用心 is made of 用 (yòng, to use) and 心 (xīn, heart or mind). When you use your heart and mind on something, you are being attentive and diligent.
Common mistake: Learners often swap 用心 with 小心 (xiǎoxīn). 小心 means to watch out for danger, as in 小心车 (watch out for cars), while 用心 means to put your mind into something, so 用心车 makes no sense.
用心 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.
用 yòng · to use · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
心 xīn · heart · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 用心.
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | to be careful; to take care |
| 开心 | kāixīn | to feel happy; to rejoice |
| 使用 | shǐyòng | to use; to employ |
| 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 |
| 心里 | xīnlǐ | chest; heart; mind |
| 作用 | zuòyòng | to act on; to affect; action; function; activity |
| 心中 | xīnzhōng | central point; in one's thoughts |
Questions about 用心
What does 用心 mean?
用心 (yòngxīn) means "motive; intention" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 用心?
用心 is made of 2 characters: 用 (5 strokes), 心 (4 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 用心 an HSK word?
Yes. 用心 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 用心 and 认真?
Both can mean doing something carefully. 认真 (rènzhēn) stresses being serious and conscientious, while 用心 adds a sense of putting your heart and thought into it. They often overlap, as in 用心听 and 认真听, both meaning to listen carefully.
Can 用心 have a negative meaning?
Yes, when it means motive or intention. In phrases like 用心不良 (yòngxīn bùliáng), it means having bad intentions. Context tells you whether it is about effort or about motive.